All Things
by LoveConquers
Summary: They thought nothing more could threaten and test their love. They were wrong. Things are not always what they seem, even at Sanctuary. Sequel to Things Best Known and Things More Beautiful. Complete!
1. Default Chapter

All Things

Disclaimer: Not mine! Mutant X belongs to Tribune and Marvel.

Summary: They thought nothing more could threaten and test their love. They were wrong. Things are not always what they seem, even at Sanctuary. Sequel to Things Best Known and Things More Beautiful.

Rating: PG

A/N: Like the first two stories in this series, this is a Brennan and Shalimar story, although this one will include some Jesse and Lexa as well.

All Things—Chapter One

_Prelude:_

_She waited. She waited as they came tumbling into the Rec Room, laughter alighting their faces, rosy-red from the outside chill. She watched as they almost dropped their coats on the floor before catching them back up and exchanging a tender look. She waited with her while he hung them up, and she watched as they headed arm in arm towards the kitchen. _

_When stillness again descended upon the room, she emerged, a hiss of frustration escaping her teeth as a tiny growl gave her pause. Two little eyes stared intently at the object in her hand, pink lips curled slightly back. She jerked her hand up higher, holding the fragile glass protectively above her head, side-stepping the tense, little dog in annoyance. Teeth nipped her pant leg, and she stumbled slightly. A brief fumble, and then she had the item again securely grasped. _

_With a furtive glance, she disappeared into another room, breathing a sigh of relief once all was safely hidden. Her fingers felt stiff, burning from clenching the glass so tightly, and she absent-mindedly sucked on a finger as she hesitated at the door. She waited, watching, before finally slipping out in a swirl of dark hair. _

_Thick liquid sloshed against glass before settling back into place, its movement sluggish. Trace beads dripped and rolled, puddling at the glass base; glimmers of refracted light winking slowly in the dim light. _

Three Weeks Later:

Cold had taken a massive grip on Sanctuary. Leaves that had been bright and golden were suddenly gone, leaving bare branches buried under a thick blanket of snow. The river creaked and groaned, water frozen in odd surges, as if caught unaware. And so it had been. One day it was fall, the next they woke up to find winter ferociously upon them. And as the creatures of the wood hibernated, so did Shalimar.

Brennan shook his head as he stared down at the slumbering feral, burrowed under several blankets and huddled against him. Only the blonde curls spilling out from under the covers and the slight lump her body formed gave evidence of her even being there.

"Hey, Shal?" He placed a gentle hand where he thought her hip might be.

The lump moaned and slid further down the bed.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled, slipping out of the bed and padding over to the adjoining bathroom. Even he had to admit it was cold, he conceded as he reappeared a few moments later, hopping across the chilly slate floor. _Brrrr. _His teeth chattered slightly as he whipped the covers back and bounded gleefully back into the warmth. Shalimar growled slightly as the dash of cold air hit her before the blankets settled back into place.

"Come on, Shal, wake up."

She only pressed more tightly against his side, seeking his warmth. She delighted in taking advantage of the heat he always seemed to radiate. A contented sigh escaped her lips.

"What do you think, girl?" Brennan turned his attention to the small dog curled up at the end of the bed. "Time to get up?"

Chester raised her head, tilting it as if pondering his words for a moment before laying it back down on her paws and curling into an even tighter ball.

"Come on guys, I don't like it either, but we've got to get up." He paused for a beat. "We're going to be late." No answer.

A slightly evil glint appeared in Brennan's eyes as Shalimar snaked an arm around his waist, settling back in. He stroked the back of his thumb across her smooth skin as he rolled onto his side to face her, tangling his leg around hers. He watched as her lips curved upward in secret victory and then deliberately pressed his cold foot against her shin, waiting for a reaction.

It didn't take long.

_"Ahhh!__ Brennan!" _

The slumbering beast awoke, jerking up and away in an explosion of flying blankets and wild hair. Cold air hit him, and he shivered, laughing outright as she glared at him, eyes flashing between tangled strands of hair.

"Good morning." He smiled widely at her.

"It's cold." She blew at the strands in annoyance as she sat up and wrapped her arms around her folded legs.

He loved how she could be so grumpy in the morning. "You woke up." He raised his brows in innocent inquiry.

"Hmphf." She grunted at him, rubbing her hands against her legs. "I wonder why."

He leaned back over the side of the bed and retrieved one of the scattered blankets, wrapping it around her as he dropped a kiss onto her nose.

"Where are you going?" She petulantly asked as he stood up from the bed.

"To shower." He paused to dig through one of the dressers.

She released a huge yawn, watching as he pulled out black boxers.

"Care to join me?" His voice called back to her as he disappeared into the bathroom, head poking back out when she didn't answer.

"Hmm?" She pursed her lips in pretend thought. "Sleep a few more minutes or shower with you?" She promptly lay back down and pulled the blankets back over her head, forming a cozy lump. "Wake me when you're done."

"Hey!"

The lump giggled.

He shook his head, closing the door behind him.

There was a similar scene going on across the hall.

"Come on, Jesse." Lexa tugged determinedly on his shoulder. "Go fix it."

"Gimmeaminute." Mumbled words garbled back at her.

A flick of her wrist and the blankets flew off him.

One eye squinted open.

"I take it you want something?" His voice was heavy with sarcasm.

She raised her eyebrow.

It was then he noticed the temperature. "It's cold." He pushed himself into a sitting position.

"I know, go fix it." She grasped his hand, pulling.

He allowed her to get him out of bed, smiling as he took in her attire. She was swaddled in so many layers she could hardly walk. He planted his feet and tugged back, spinning her around and into his arms. A startled gasp huffed out of her lips.

"You look kind of cute."

"Just—kind of?" She struggled to raise her arms above her head, wrapping them around his shoulders and pulling him into a kiss.

"Ok, very." He spoke a moment later, hands rubbing up and down her back.

"That's better." She stepped back with a satisfied grin. "Now go fix this cold."

Brennan shivered as he stepped out of the warm shower. He raised his ring to his mouth. "Hey, Jesse!"

"Already on it." Jesse's voice interrupted him.

Brennan chuckled at his annoyed tone. Lexa must have been working on him for a while already. He quickly pulled on a warm robe, rubbing a hand across the fogged mirror to get a glimpse of his face. Stubble showed up in his hazy reflection before the mirror steamed back over. He winkled his nose; he hated shaving. He reached into the medicine cabinet, frowning when his fingers only found empty space.

"Missing something?"

Shivers of a different sort ran down his spine at the sultry tone behind him.

"Perhaps." He grinned at her over his shoulder as she approached, blanket resting around her shoulders like a cape. She still wore her nightgown, but had pulled on a pair of his sweatpants and thick wool socks. His grin faltered slightly when he took in his razor, twirling between her smug fingers. The blade flashed in the light. He gulped. "What are you doing?"

"Don't you trust me?" She arched a brow, fighting a smile.

He sank down into the small stool he kept in the bathroom, eyeing her. "Always."

"Good answer." Her smile widened as she stepped between his legs, hand reaching over and grabbing his shaving cream. He watched as she squirted some into her hands and worked up a rich lather, eyes falling shut as her fingers massaged it into his skin. Cold forgotten, he reached out and grasped her hips, pulling her closer.

"Now, behave," She gently admonished him, lips brushing deliberately against his ear.

He ignored her command, turning his head and capturing her lips. She allowed it, leaning into his arms, sensuously, slowly, returning his kiss for one delicious moment. His hand rose and tangled in her hair, tugging her closer just as she pulled back with an unforgiving grin.

"Not yet."

He leaned forward again, but she stilled him with a hand on his chest. Sighing, he complied, and she reached back over to pick up the razor.

Her smug look returned.

His eyes darted to hers. She looked innocent. _Too innocent_. He swallowed convulsively, regretting that cold foot thing. "Hey, Shal."

"Shh." She hushed him with a finger on his lips. "Now don't move."

_Easy for her to say._ He shifted slightly as she again leaned down towards him, eyes distractedly taking in the tiny buttons that lay open against her neck, exposing creamy skin. _So that was her plan._ His eyes followed the trail of open buttons as they loomed tantalizing just out of reach as she leaned closer yet, drawing the blade down his cheek, following the growth of the bristles. Another shiver ran down his spine as her warm breath puffed against his neck as she bent to inspect her work. A finger caressed the razor's path until, satisfied, she ran the razor again down his face.

He closed his eyes, exhaling a deep breath when she finally turned away for a moment to rinse the razor. He knew she heard, but he didn't care. She knew damn well what she was doing to him.

"Shal," He started as she nudged his knees further apart, stepping up next to him again. His hands again settled on her hips.

She didn't respond, instead tipping his head back and drawing the razor down his jaw. His lips pouted slightly as his delectable view disappeared from sight. His fingers dug slightly into her side, massaging in slow, centric circles. She kept on working. His fingers worked their way to her back, rubbing. Her hand cupped the back of his head, supporting it as she pushed it back even further, running the razor down his upper lip, pausing to smartly smack his arm with the razor handle as his fingers tried dipping lower. He groaned and moved his hands back to her hips. He could sense her smile as she resumed her work, the rasping sound loud in the quiet. Finally, she finished. His head started to come back down, freezing as his eyes opened.

"You almost behaved," Shalimar huskily whispered, fully aware their mouths were a mere breath apart.

"What's my reward?" His tongue darted out and licked his lips.

She focused on his tongue, lips curving upward. "I said almost." She suddenly stood back up as his head leaned forward, laughing at the extreme disappointment flashing across his features. She smiled saucily. "Too bad too, I still need that shower." She turned her back in dismissal, starting to undress.

"Not so fast." He jumped to his feet. "I at least get a kiss."

"Then come and get it." She turned back toward him with a knowing grin, brows waggling.

He knew a challenge when he saw one. He also knew they were going to be extremely late.

He didn't care.

Giggles filled the small room as they chased each other around.

_Humans._ Chester watched pitifully as, clad only in underwear, they ran screaming past where she lay in a cozy nest atop the discarded blankets. Her fur ruffled slightly as she burrowed further into the blankets, eyes closing with a contented sigh. She at least knew how to stay warm on a cold morning such as this.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: There are references to lines and to a character from episode 315, Divided Loyalties in this chapter. Sorry again that I am not able to post as frequently with this story. I am writing frantically, so hopefully can get more chapters done soon. In the meantime, here is chapter two for you! Thank you so much to Quadrantie, hybridangel04, blackpanther, mfkngst, Tikigurl293, Mayra, KT, Mari, Lady Alexandra, Fiery Feral, Cristina, Brennan's Angel, Catjerica! I can't believe you're all still with me! Thank you so much! Jessica, I haven't really thought about adding on to the Dream series, but I guess you never know! :) Thank you for your words of encouragement! This story is a huge challenge for me to write in several ways. I normally rely heavily on nature for part of my plot, and this one will be set in Sanctuary (although I couldn't resist getting them out occasionally), so that's different for me. There is also not exactly a traditional plot to this story, much is set in the mind and heart. As my beta reader commented, this is going to be a hard one to write. So I am honestly not sure how it will turn out! As with the first two stories in this series, I will be focusing on emotion. I've explored angst and tension, then physical and emotional limits, and now with this one it will explore belief and trust. As always, I will also try to maintain a balance of humor and romance along with the more dramatic parts. It may be confusing at times, but please bear with me. I hope I can make it all work out in the end! Yikes! But anyway, thank you so much for everything!

All Things—Chapter Two

"You're late."

Brennan and Shalimar exchanged a quick glance.

"Sorry, we were a little busy this morning."

The man's eyebrow rose at the faint blush that spread high across the woman's face. "Busy, huh?" He smirked knowingly.

"What have you got for us?" Shalimar stared disdainfully at the man until he squirmed in his seat.

"You must be Shalimar."

She nodded slightly.

His eyes roamed unashamedly. "I heard you were hot and ah, feisty."

Shalimar's hand shot out and stilled Brennan as he made to rise in his chair. "What do you have for us?"

"Alright," The man raised his hands in concession, seeing the hard glint in her eyes. "Here." He glanced around the small cafe before pulling a crumpled envelope out of his pocket and throwing it on the table. "Nice doing business with you." He pushed his chair back and sauntered away.

"Hey!" Brennan hollered after him.

The man turned around in question.

"That's it? You insist on a personal meet for this?" Brennan gestured at the envelope.

"It's all there." The man turned back around and disappeared out the door.

"Well that was disappointing."

Brennan smiled at Shalimar's tone. "Lexa did say she would give us the easy jobs for a little while."

"Yeah, easy, not boring." Shalimar grumbled as she leaned an elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand. She absently flexed her other hand in front of her, eyes roving the room.

"How's the hand?" Brennan watched as she formed a fist and then spread her fingers again. Just a few weeks ago, she hadn't been able to do that very well. The therapy she fought so hard against was starting to pay off.

"It's fine." She dropped her hand on her lap under the table, smiling when he frowned at the action. "I'm not hiding it, Brennan."

He glanced up, startled she could read him so easily, shrugging at her grin. "You know, Shal, Jesse and Lexa aren't expecting us back for a few more hours."

Her grin widened. "What do you have in mind?"

An hour later, Shalimar glared at Brennan's back as she wrapped her arms around him. "This isn't exactly what I had in mind, Brennan."

"Come on, Shal. Live a little."

Shalimar shook her head at his merry tone. "What's wrong with this picture?"

"What?" His teeth flashed white as he grinned at her over his shoulder, competing with the bright snow surrounding them.

"You miss your motorcycle, don't you?"

"It's the next best thing." He revved the engine.

"I knew I should have been worried when you didn't seem to mind putting it in storage for the winter."

"Hang on, Shal—" The wind stole the rest of his words as they suddenly shot forward.

She shrieked and tightened her grip around his waist, gasping at the sudden rush of cold and adrenaline. The snowmobile roared loudly in the winter air, whining as they picked up speed, the vibration knocking her teeth together. Bits of snow and ice flew at her, and she buried her face in Brennan's back, reveling in the roll of muscle as his hands smoothly changed their grip. He was laughing, and she laughed with him. It had been a long time since she felt so carefree. The sun arched high across the sky as afternoon approached, but its weak rays did little to warm the air. Only criss-crossing tracks marred the endless fields of white surrounding them, and time disappeared as they flew along the pristine path.

Brennan loved the feel of Shalimar's hands digging into his sides, her small frame pressing into his back. Even with the roar of the engine, he could hear her small gasps of delight as she rested her head on his shoulder, lips occasionally brushing against his ear as the snowmobile bounced them around. It reminded him of that morning, when she had so irresistibly teased him. He was amazed that she could reduce him to a quivering mass of jelly with only a touch. No woman had ever affected him the way she did. He didn't deserve her, but he would never let her go. She was the most beautiful thing in his life, and he was damned if anything would take her away. _She was his, and he was hers._

"Brennan!"

Her voice in his ear broke into his thoughts, and he was startled to see a tree looming in his vision, rushing toward them.

"Wha—" He jerked the sled to the right, wincing as the sudden jolt cut off his words and caused him to bite down hard on his tongue. Behind him, Shalimar grunted as they scraped by the trunk of the tree, shoulders cringing as metal squealed and protested. Brennan squeezed hard on the brakes, and they slammed to a stop. The engine roared one final time, and then sputtered and died. The sudden silence was loud in Shalimar's pounding ears, and she tentatively released her grip on Brennan.

Simultaneously they both leaned over to the left, eyebrows rising comically together as they took in the deep scrape along the front side of the sled.

Neither spoke for a moment.

"Hey Shal?"

"Uh-huh."

"How do you feel about bringing this thing home with us?"

She released her breath with a laugh. "I think the salesman will kill us if you don't."

"No he wouldn't."

"Yeah he would."

"Nah, you'd kick his ass first."

They exchanged a smile, and Shalimar shook her head, groaning as she pushed herself off the snowmobile. Stiffness from the cold had set in, and she bounced on the balls of her feet, blowing on her fingers to warm them up as she watched Brennan bend over to inspect the sled.

"Nice work."

He shrugged sheepishly as he ran his fingers over the damage. "I can fix it, no problem."

"Uh-huh." She stared pointedly at him as he climbed back on the sled. "Hey Bren."

"Yeah?"

"I'm driving."

He didn't move.

She narrowed her eyes. "Brennan?"

His fingers tightened their grip imperceptively on the sled as he still didn't move.

_That did it._ Toes dug into the ground, and then she flew, airborne for one perfect moment before she tackled him. A surprised _omphf_rumbled in his chest as they ended up tumbling over the sled and rolling through the snow. Arms and limbs tangled together, and then they lay still. Brown eyes stared down at her in shock. She blinked to get her bearings, watching the quick concern etch across Brennan's face before she raised one perfectly-shaped brow upward in triumph. His eyes widened, but he recovered quickly, trying to roll them, but she stayed tight. Fingers dug into his shoulders, savoring the warmth of him as he pressed her into the snow. He tried to ease up on his elbows to absorb some of his weight, but his hands only pushed through the deep snow, and he sank heavily against her. He smirked.

"Who's got who now?"

Her smile widened. "Oh I think I've got you right where I want you." She pulled his head down with one hand, kissing him, slowly, then more deeply. His body shifted as he inched closer yet, and his hands cupped her shoulders, fingers searing her though her coat, even as the cold dug into her lower back. Sensation flooded her and then suddenly he managed to roll them, and she was on top. Air rushed now against her back and her fingers trailed down his chest, fisting his shirt as their mouths continued their dance. Her fingers moved again, slowly inching downward and with a quick dash, she stole the keys right out from him. His jaw dropped open for a moment as she grinned against his lips.

"Like I said, right where I want you." She sat up, still straddling his chest as he calmly watched her dangle the keys above his nose. "I'm driving."

He moved faster than she would have thought he could, and before she could fully close her fingers around her keys, she found herself thrown over Brennan's shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Give me the keys."

"No." She stubbornly tightened her fingers around them.

He started walking, ignoring her squeals of protest.

"Brennan!" She twisted in his arms.

"Gonna give me the keys?"

"No!"

He clucked his tongue and shook his head, resuming walking.

"Come on, Bren." She tried a new tactic, admiring the view as she dangled over his shoulder. She hadn't seen him from this angle before, it was quite…interesting. She grinned.

He paused to shift her slight weight. "Keys?"

"Nope."

He circled around the snowmobile.

She gave another half-hearted kick.

He headed for the tree next.

She changed tactics again, hands reaching down. _What did he say about kicking ass?_ He jumped higher than she thought he would have, yelping loudly as she dissolved into laughter. His head shook in chagrin, swinging her back around and into a tight hug, arms wrapped around her body. She folded her arms around his neck, her laughter infectious as he finally gave in and laughed with her.

The keys poked out from between her clenched fingers.

She was still driving

The ride was glorious, and another hour passed before finally, reluctantly, Shalimar eased them back into the sales lot, parking with a final quick flourish. Snow spun, drenching them in tiny crystalline flakes that whirled and danced back into the air as they squealed to a stop. She had a slight headache from the cold, but she didn't care. It had been worth it.

Brennan watched appreciatively as Shalimar turned toward him, eyes sparkling and tangled blonde curls brought to life by the wind. He couldn't resist her.

She gave a small squeak of surprise when his lips suddenly captured hers before melting against him, arms circling around his neck. His lips were cold as they moved gently over hers, his body warm as he bent over her, effectively blocking her off from the wind. He panted slightly when he finally pulled back, eyes caressing her, groaning as he pulled her into a deep hug.

"I love you, Shal."

She smiled, hands moving to frame his face. "I love you too." Her voice was whisper soft, fingers running over his smooth cheeks, wanting to remember the moment. His eyes closed for a moment, leaning into her touch before opening again, latching onto hers; her touch triggering a memory that flickered deep within their brown depths. A shiver ran down her spine as she sensed his shift in emotion, lips curving into a slightly predatory look. Eyes glowed for just a brief moment, knowing exactly what it did to him, loving his rasping breath as he claimed her lips again.

"First time I see you in months and you're _still _getting more tail than me!"

They broke apart in surprise as a figure stood over them. Shalimar stiffened even as Brennan's face broke into a pleased grin and he jumped up from the sled.

"Cole!"

The two men hugged, slapping each other on the back.

"More tail?" Shalimar's eyebrows rose as she stood to her feet.

"Cole," Brennan spoke quickly as he stepped back and put his arm around her. "This is Shalimar."

"I've heard all about you." Shalimar dryly commented, holding out her hand, not missing the congratulatory look he shot Brennan as he shook her hand.

"Good job, Buddy."

She growled lowly in her throat in disapproval, feeling her headache come back full force.

"So," Brennan hastily cleared his throat, "What are you doing here, man?"

"Are you kidding?" Cole's eyes lit up. "There's a huge race today. We're gonna go across the ice."

Shalimar's lips flattened, knowing exactly where this was headed. She bit back a retort even as Cole's predictive words rang out, moodily rubbing her brow as it started to throb.

"Just like old times, huh Brennan?"

"Not today, Cole." Brennan clapped his shoulder apologetically, turning him down. The man took the hint, bidding them farewell after a few more minutes. Brennan laughed after Cole as he hurried away, hand raised in good-bye.

It started out as a low roar in her ears, and then a pounding in her head. Brennan was talking, but his words were muted as her vision blurred and the line between thought and reality suddenly disappeared. Instinct and logic warred within her, and stark fear rose until the feeling threatened to overwhelm her. _She didn't understand what was happening_. She blinked, and Brennan's face reappeared in her sight. He was still talking, mere seconds of confusion he hadn't even noticed. _He didn't notice_. Somehow the thought hurt. She pressed closer to him, but his eyes were turned away, still watching Cole. Shalimar didn't miss the slight look of longing that flashed across Brennan's face as his friend disappeared from sight. A chill hit her as she stood next to him, and she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. The wind blew suddenly, fiercely, blinding her, trapping her in a wall of winter white. _She was alone._ A dull throbbing echoed in her head, and snowflakes that had seemed so merry just moments before now bit and stung her skin in unforgiving bitterness. Panic, terrible panic struck her as the wall of white bore down, closing her in. _She couldn't breathe._ Just as suddenly, the envelope from that morning's meet seemed to burn from within her pocket and, confused, she gasped at the heat, wrenching it out of her jacket and throwing it on the ground.

She blinked, and just as unexpectedly, the wind died down, snow dissipating into the air as bright sun again shone down upon them. Seconds of blowing snow that terrified her. Shalimar backed into Brennan and tensed, her breathing fast and shallow. Her pulse throbbed in her throat. _What was this feeling lurking deep within?_ _Fear.__ Nightmare. She couldn't move, she didn't dare._ But she had to.

"You ok, Shal?" Brennan's hand fell on her in concern.

It was cold and heavy.

"Yeah." She swallowed tightly, forcing her eyes up to his. "Just take me home, Brennan."

She walked away before he could reply, his quizzical gaze boring into her back.

"Shalimar?" He bent to retrieve the envelope.

She increased her steps. She didn't understand it, but she had to get away.

Clouds, heavy with snow, began drifting in, casting a gray pallor over the sky. Trees huddled in resignation, and the wind let out a lowly wail.

And the snow began to fall.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm working on chapter 8 now, so I'm slowly figuring the story out. Thank you Lady Alexandra, Garfieldlady, Mfkngst, Fiery Feral (cliffhanger…what's a cliffhanger? Evil laugh!), Quadrantje, KT (can't you just picture trees huddling in the wind if they could, lol!), Lauren13 (I'm honored!), Jessica. You comments mean so much to me! Mayra, thank you! I hope so! :) Here's chapter three for you, I'll try to get four up by the weekend. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

All Things—Chapter Three

And the snow continued to fall. Into the night it fell, thick and heavy, until the trees of the forest fairly groaned, branches bent low from their heavy load. All color from the mountain disappeared, only stark white visible as far as the eye could see.

They were snowed in.

For all of the miraculous and technological wonders of Sanctuary, six feet of snow brought them to a grinding halt. After much shoveling and a little swearing, Brennan and Jesse had managed to unearth the door, and as the sun finally came back out, the snow began to settle and compact.

"How you feeling, Shal?" Brennan called as he noticed her watching them from the doorway. He paused to catch his breath, leaning on the shovel. He was worried about her. She had been quiet all night, and had woken up with a pinched look in her eyes that disturbed him. She promised him she wasn't hiding anything from him, that she just had a headache, but he had seen the slight aversion of her eyes from his as she spoke. His stomach knotted in anxiety.

"I'm fine." She smiled as she spoke, and indeed she did look better, he conceded as he took in her relaxed expression. "You about done?" She peered over his shoulder at Jesse as he continued to work.

"Just about, Shalimar." Jesse's head popped up from behind the snowbank that nearly hid him from view. "No thanks to Brennan, here." Jesse threw a shovelful of snow at Brennan.

"Hey!" Brennan whirled around, but Jesse had wisely dunked back down from view.

"Did you need something?" Jesse's voice floated back as he continued his conversation with Shalimar.

Brennan shook his head, plunging his shovel into the snow and tossing it over the bank. Dull thuds could be heard as chunks of snow and ice made contact.

"If you boys are about done, I think someone really needs to go out." Shalimar chuckled as Jesse's head again reappeared, brows furrowed in concern.

"Lexa?"

"Not unless she's no longer housebroken." Brennan chortled as he noticed Chester waiting impatiently at Shalimar's feet; leaning back just in time to avoid another flying clump of snow hurled his way.

"Seriously, Brennan," Shalimar pointed to the little dog at her feet. "Look at her."

Brennan couldn't help but laugh as he took in the miserable look on Chester's face as she stared at the towering snowbanks with dismay. "She does look a little desperate." He dropped his shovel and walked through the open doorway, stomping his feet. "Hey." He greeted Shalimar with a gentle kiss, dipping his head down to study her eyes.

"Hey," She smiled up at him. "I thought I'd take her for a quick walk." She held up the leash. "The snow is over her head, I don't want her to sink down and get into trouble."

"You know, Shal." Brennan caught her arm as she stepped past him, eyes twinkling. "The snow is over your head too."

She stopped short as she stepped outside, seeing he spoke the truth. Other than the cleared path by the door, the snow was a dense, compacted wall, easily spanning higher than her diminutive height.

She suddenly felt very short.

"It's not funny." She swatted Brennan's chest as he grinned down at her.

"Can't help it, you look so cute standing there."

She rolled her eyes at his enjoyment of the situation. "You want to take Chester out then?"

"I don't think it's necessary anymore." Brennan grimaced as the dog did her business by his feet and scampered back into the warmth of Sanctuary. He picked up the shovel again and dropped a clump of snow, hiding the evidence. "Don't tell Jesse." He waggled his eyebrows at Shalimar as she shook her head. She walked past him, running her fingers along the snow, taking it all in.

"How long do you think it will last?" She swallowed as a hint of fear rose up in her throat, sickening her with its vile taste. _White walls._ She shuddered, abruptly turning on her heel and backing into Brennan.

He was still chuckling, having missed her expression. His arms rose up and circled around her, pulling her back against his chest. "I don't know. But you'd better be careful." He dropped a kiss on her hair, resting his chin on her head. "Can't have you getting lost out there."

_Lost._ She forced a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. For some reason, the word haunted her. _Lost_.

"Come on, you two!" Jesse's amused voice startled her. "You going to just stand there in the cold all day long?"

Brennan snorted as he turned, keeping an arm loosely around her shoulders as he kicked a mound of snow in Jesse's direction.

Jesse watched them as they dunked after him back into Sanctuary, closing the door behind them and cutting off the cold blast of wind. "So what do you guys want to do today?" He sank down on a nearby bench and began to unlace his boots.

"Something warm." Brennan grunted as he plopped down next to him, rubbing his cold hands together for a moment before bending over to work on his own boots. Shalimar leaned against the wall, waiting for them.

"Yeah." Jesse murmured in agreement, straining to pull off his tight boots. "In front of the fireplace sure sounds like a nice place to be right now."

"With hot coffee," Brennan added longingly, tugging on a stubborn knot in his frozen laces.

"And Lexa."

"Or Shalimar."

The two men paused in sudden awareness.

There were only two comfortable chairs by the fireplace.

With studied casualness, Brennan gave up on the frozen knots and tried to pull the boot off instead with both hands. Beside him, Jesse did the same. They glanced at each other occasionally, finally giving up all pretenses and openly rushing to remove their clunky boots. They strained in silence for a moment as Shalimar watched on with amusement.

Jesse grinned as one boot finally popped off and he tugged on the other. Brennan pressed his lips together and pulled harder, exclaiming in triumph when he got one of his off. They glanced at each other again, pulling harder.

"To hell with it!" Jesse suddenly lunged to his feet, racing down the hallway, his gait crooked as he ran with one boot still on.

"Hey!" Brennan rushed after him, tripping over his laces in his haste and stumbling a few feet before catching himself on the wall and running after him.

Shalimar laughed outright as they disappeared around the corner, pushing against each other as they slipped and ran toward the main living area of Sanctuary. The garage fell quiet. She was alone. She tensed, glancing around, but only saw and heard the familiar comforts of her home. She smiled, relieved, pushing off the wall and following the trail of muddy footprints. She heard faint voices coming from Lexa's office, and she paused by the closed door, listening for a moment. The way Lexa spoke, with long pauses between short answers, told Shalimar that she was on a conference call. She poked her head into the doorway, but stopped when she saw the shadowy figure of Lexa's Dominion contact on her computer. The envelope from yesterday's meet rested under her tapping fingers, and Lexa's back was turned, so Shalimar eased back, softly closing the door back behind her. She didn't want to get dragged into another boring meet, not on a day like today. She felt foolish now as she remembered her reaction to the envelope, to the blowing snow, and was glad no one had noticed. She padded back down the hallway, back in her pursuit of the guys.

Although it was cold outside, the world caught in winter's frozen grip, inside Sanctuary, it was warm and cozy, and the day passed in lazy relaxation. After a bit of a debate, they had finally compromised on the seating arrangements. The fireplace was a recent addition, a luxury they had decided to splurge on one cold day last spring, and it had been tucked back into the corner of the Rec Room, a couple of overstuffed chairs circled around it.

Jesse pressed his back against the soft cushion, fingers closed around a steaming cup of coffee, stocking feet propped up next to the warm flames. With Shalimar's fear of fire, Adam had never had one built, but she had worked hard over the years to conquer that fear, and had insisted they finally put one in. He propped open one eye, smiling at Brennan and Shalimar as they shared the chair across from him. Brennan had his own long legs stretched toward the fire, arms loosely circling Shalimar as she sprawled across his lap, legs dangling over the arm of the chair. He could tell she slept, cheek resting against Brennan's chest. They didn't talk much about their recent ordeal, but it was impossible not to notice their new closeness. While they had always been joined at the hip, there was a new vulnerability to their love, a tenderness they had not shown before. They were two of the strongest people he knew_, but together_, he shook his head, they were a formidable team Kind of like him and Lexa. He grinned at the thought of the dark-haired vixen, hoping she would join them soon.

"Hey, Jess?"

Jesse's eyes opened at the soft whisper to see Brennan looking at him, face conflicted.

"What's up?" He kept his voice equally soft, for Shalimar still slept.

"How'd Shalimar's last scans look?"

Jesse raised his brows at the question. "Fine, why?"

Brennan dropped his eyes back down to study the feral's sleeping face. "When did you last examine her?"

"Two days ago." He sat up straighter in the chair. "Why, Brennan, what's wrong?"

Brennan brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheek, thinking. "There was no trace of the serum?"

"No."

Brennan blew out a quiet breath as Jesse waited for him to explain. "Hey Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you—could you check her again?" Brennan didn't look up.

Jesse waited, but Brennan didn't say anything more. "Yeah, I can do that." He didn't miss the look of relief that flashed across his face. "She won't like it, you know."

Brennan smiled, arms tightening slightly. "I know."

"Ok, consider it done."

"Thanks, man."

"No problem." Jesse sank back down in his chair again. "But you can be the one to tell her."

Brennan chuckled, the movement causing Shalimar to stir awake. She yawned and stretched, lifting her face off Brennan's chest. She blinked, casting Jesse a sleepy smile before faltering slightly. He was looking at her strangely.

"Jesse?"

He shook himself, and she sensed his purposeful evasion. She quickly turned to look at Brennan and saw the same expression on his face. _They were hiding something from her._ "What's going on?"

"Nothing." Jesse turned his head away, looking across the room. "I was just wondering where Lexa is."

"I saw her working earlier." She spoke slowly, watching him still.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "That woman needs to learn the meaning of a snow day."

"I heard that!"

Lexa's voice interrupted them as she hollered from across the room, arms crossed as she entered.

"There you are." Jesse's look invited her to join them.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to get out of that chair _sometime_ today." Lexa's smile betrayed her tone.

Jesse grinned. "What was it you once told me? All work and no play?"

She rolled her eyes, sinking down on the arm of the chair, leaning over and whispering something in his ear that caused his face to turn bright red.

Shalimar turned away from the scene, musing how the atmosphere around Sanctuary had changed now that they were coupled off. Her feral hearing could easily pick up their whispered words, and she cleared her throat in reminder. _Some things she just didn't want to know._ Brennan's fingers landed on her cheek, stroking down the side, and he smiled tenderly at her. She raised her own fingers to see what amused him and realized that while she slept, the textured pattern of his shirt had been imprinted into her cheek. Brennan's grin widened, and he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss, hinting of hidden passion just below the surface. She shivered, promising herself she would explore that feeling soon. Her disorientation when she first woke up disappeared, and she relaxed in Brennan's arms. Time spent all together was rare, and she was determined to fully enjoy it.

"So Lexa," Brennan's chest rumbled pleasantly beneath her ear as he spoke, "Did you get anything helpful out of that envelope from yesterday's meet?"

"Not much," Lexa shrugged, "It's not a high priority, so I'll follow up on it later."

"What did your contact say?" Shalimar spoke up as she treaded her fingers through Brennan's. She threw him a quick smile over her shoulder as he squeezed her fingers back.

"I haven't talked to him for a while." Lexa leaned back in the chair as Jesse pulled her closer.

Shalimar's stomach twisted. "You didn't talk to him today?"

"No," Lexa's gray blue eyes stared into hers.

Her head started to throb again, a slow, dull ache that started from deep within. She struggled to her feet, feigning a casualness she didn't feel when Brennan looked at her in surprise. "I think I'll go for a run before supper. I—I could use some air."

Brennan started to get up. "I'll come with you."

She stilled his movements with a firm hand on his shoulder. "No, Brennan. You stay here, relax. I think I'd like some time alone." She bent down and pressed her cheek to his for a brief moment, brushing her lips against his. "I'll be back soon."

She felt his eyes follow her, but he didn't say anything more. She forced herself to walk normally across the room and into the hallway, breaking into a run as soon as she rounded the corner. Her breath felt constricted, and she burst through the ground level door, stopping to gasp in great gulps of cold air, hands pressed to her temple as it continued to throb. _What was going on? _A yapping bark startled her, and she jumped, heart pounding, laughing shakily as Chester shot past her, running.

"Chester!" She ran after the little dog, afraid she would get stuck in the deep snow. The sun had melted the snow into compact ground cover, and while it squeaked and protested at every step, it held their weight. Relieved, she stopped, watching the little dog play in the dim light. Softly scented pine drifted on the breeze, and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply, willing the ache to leave her. Everything was fine, she was just tired. She was home, everything was good. Her fingers clenched white at her throat as a twig snapped. Chester suddenly growled low in her throat, and Shalimar whirled around, eyes glowing, searching. The setting sun slid behind a cloud, and the forest cast long shadows, each one moving as trees swayed in the breeze and snow fell from their branches. _Crunch Crunch._ Snow sounded behind her, and she whirled again. Still nothing. Chester again growled and then suddenly took off running.

"Chester!" She yelled again after the little dog, taking two steps to follow when she jerked to a sudden stop, as if hitting a brick wall. _She was being watched_. She could sense something out there. Her pulse hammered in her throat, and she stifled a frustrated cry. _That feeling was back_. Her head suddenly throbbed violently, and she dropped to her knees, clutching her head, heart pounding at something lurking deep in her subconscious. _Fear.__ Déjà vu. _She rocked on her heels, drowning in the feeling of prey, of eyes searching for her, of something circling, circling, looking to strike. Something deep within rose up, raw, primal. Her mind need not engage beyond the command to run. _Move,_ she told her legs. But they wouldn't. _She was supposed to be the hunter. What was this feeling?_ Her knuckles grew white.

Something wet touched her, and she jumped, jerking savagely, shaking when she realized it was only Chester, pink tongue lolling to the side as she panting for breath. _Chester_ She dug her fingers into the little dog's fur, grounding herself in the touch, the feel of reality. The dog licked her face, and she blinked, laughing at herself as she suddenly felt foolish for her fear. What was she thinking? She was at Sanctuary. She was strong. She was fine. She hugged the little dog to her chest as she stood back up, ignoring the weakness in her knees and turning to walk back when she froze, a frustrated cry tearing from her lips.

Her footsteps were visible in the snow, marking her trail from Sanctuary to the forest edge, Chester's prints right next to hers. That she understood. She started to tremble as her eyes raked further across the snow. _Those she didn't understand_.

Deep and deliberate, circling around her kneeling position in the snow, was a third set of footprints.


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm still working my way through this story, so not sure yet how long it will be. So far I have roughly 16 chapters outlined, number 8 is being written currently. I'll keep updating as much as I can! Thank you so much to Mfkngst, Lady Alexandra, Melodie568, Rain (welcome back!!), Rachel, Fiery Feral, Colleen, Lauren13, Jessica, Catjerica, Marishal! Your encouragement means the world to me, thank you! Quadrantje and Mayra—very perceptive! Glad you noticed those things! :) Thank you! If you have a chance, check out the new Communities link on the upper right-hand side of the MX page. There are some great groups. I started a Brennan and Shalimar one, so please subscribe if you're interested or let me know if you'd like to add your stories to the collection as well, I'd love to add more! But anyway, enough of me rambling, here's the next chapter for you. Thank you so much!

All Things—Chapter Four

She wasn't crazy. She laughed in relief as she stomped the snow from her feet, leaning her forehead against the wall. They were just headaches after all. She wasn't imaging things, she couldn't be. _Footsteps were tangible things._ She had been so afraid that something was wrong. Something_ was_ wrong, but not with her. She rubbed her temple, willing the lingering headache to ease up. Perhaps it was her senses going into overdrive, trying to warn her. First Lexa hiding something from them and now someone right outside Sanctuary. She didn't know what exactly was going on around here, but she would find out. And she would start with Lexa.

Brennan heard the sound of Shalimar's laugh coming from the garage and poked his head in, frowning as he saw her leaning against the wall, laughing. She was alone.

"Shal?" He approached her cautiously. "You ok?"

She turned toward him with a smile. "I'm fine, Brennan."

"Ok." He came to a stop in front of her.

She could tell he was trying to read her, could sense the concern rolling off him in waves. Her heart melted, she loved him so much. "I know what you're thinking, Bren."

"You do?" He spoke carefully, eyes searching hers.

"You think something's wrong with me."

His eyes flickered, and he shifted his stance.

She smiled, resting her hands on his crossed forearms. "It's ok; I was starting to wonder too. I've been having these—these headaches the last few days."

He grasped her hands, squeezing tight. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's ok, it's just a headache." She pulled her hands free, lifting them and framing his face, letting him see her fully. "There's something going on around here, Brennan, but it's not with me."

He studied her for a moment, seeing the truth in her brown eyes. _She wasn't hiding anything from him._ Shoulders slumped in relief, and her hands stroked his cheek in silent understanding. _She understood._ He rested his hands on her shoulders, pulling her close. She laughed again, and he laughed with her, pulling back and capturing her lips in a sudden kiss. His lips were needy, moving desperately over hers, and she soothed him, slowing him down with gentle nudges, reassuring him, loving him.

Finally he pulled back, eyes deep and dark. "I was so worried, Shal."

His whispered confession broke her heart. She lifted her arms, pulling his head down and holding it tenderly, fiercely against her chest. His eyes fell shut and he wrapped his arms around her body, pressing his nose into her softness. Her heart beat steadily, and he focused on the sound, breathing in the scent of her. She lifted his head again, capturing his lips in another deep kiss. Emotion shifted, and they drank each other in, sinking together to the floor with a rasping gasp before claiming each others lips once more.

Sanctuary was quiet as evening set in. Lexa glanced both ways before slipping into her office, locking the door behind her. Once inside, she blew out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Crossing the room, she paused in front of the bookshelf, revealing a hidden compartment. Thick liquid glinted in the dim light. Mesmerized, she ran a finger down the side of the glass, swearing under her breath when she realized liquid was beading on the outside. Peering closer, she saw a tiny hairline fracture in the vial and dried stains around the base, indications that is had been slowly leaking. She swore again, slamming the compartment shut and shoving books back in front of it. Her computer beeped as she headed toward the doorway, but she ignored it, pressing her ear against the door, listening for a moment before walking back out into the hallway. She made it to the lab without running into anyone, and she quickly ransacked the cupboards. Jesse must have extra vials stored somewhere. She bent at the waist, checking lower cupboards next.

"Lexa?"

Jesse's voice sounded from just down the hallway. She glanced toward the door, yanking yet another cupboard door open. _Where the hell were those vials?_ Footsteps grew louder as Jesse approached and she took a deep breath, bending the light so she disappeared from sight.

"Lexa?" Jesse poked his head into the lab, glanced briefly around and then left, the door swishing shut behind him.

She waited until his footsteps retreated down the hall, then resumed her search, finally finding what she was looking for in the last cupboard. All lined up in perfect rows, she laughed as she saw them. Jesse was neat to a fault; she was surprised he didn't keep the contents of the cupboards in alphabetical order. She pulled a vial from the back row and disappeared back down the hall, in the opposite direction of Jesse's voice as he called for her.

They had ended up between her motorcycle and the dented snowmobile. Shalimar chuckled as she looked around her.

"Well, this is new."

Brennan laughed aloud at Shalimar's comment, pulling her closer as she tried to stand up.

"Stay."

She couldn't resist his plea, and settled back down, resting her chin on his broad chest as she lay on top of him. His hands ran idly up and down her spine, and she tilted her head up, watching him.

"What are you thinking about?"

He smiled at her soft question. "You."

She smiled back at him in return, and his heart thudded in his chest. _She was so beautiful._ He breathed the scent of her hair, cascading down her back. He slowly drew back, catching her hands together at his chest, and looked into her face. She waited, watching him. She looked like an angel, peaked brows over dark melting eyes, lips the color of dawn, darker now from his kisses. He wanted more. He wanted to kiss and hold her all through the day and into the night. As if reading his thoughts, she drew him back and kissed his lips softly, then circled his neck and kissed him deeply.

"Hey guys, I've been looking everywhere for--Whoa!

Jesse's shocked voice interrupted them. Shalimar looked up in time to see Jesse hastily whirling around, turning his back to them. She sprang to her feet, face red as she quickly adjusted her clothing, throwing Brennan his shirt as he looked around.

"S-sorry." Jesse stumbled on the simple word, staring at the doorway with desperate longing.

"Did you, ah, did you need something?" She did her best to sound as if it were a perfectly normal situation to carry on a conversation.

Jesse's hand rose to scratch the back of his head. She couldn't see his face, but she could practically see him struggling to form words. _Poor Jesse._ He always seemed to catch them at the most inopportune of times.

"I was, uh, looking for Lexa."

"She's not in here." Shalimar volunteered.

_"Obviously."_ Brennan muttered, wincing as Shalimar jabbed him with her elbow, "Er, nope haven't seen her lately."

Jesse shuffled his feet at the awkward silence. "Ah, ok." Unable to bear it anymore, he jolted for the door.

Shalimar collapsed against Brennan, laughing in embarrassment. "It's all your fault."

His arms wrapped around her. "My fault, why?"

"Do you really have to ask?" She elbowed him lightly again as he began to nuzzle her ear.

He chuckled, breath warm on her skin, tamping down his want. "I think you'll be the death of me yet."

"Don't say that." She jerked away and whirled fiercely around to face him.

He pulled back, surprised at her sudden vehemence. "I was just teasing."

_"Don't."_ She gripped his arms, "Don't ever joke about such a horrible thing."

"Ok." He ran his hands up her arms and along her shoulders, soothingly. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"It's ok." She sighed, kneaded her temple, feeling another headache coming on. "I'm going to find Lexa." She started to turn around, but he stopped her.

"Shal?" He tipped her chin up, puzzled by her sudden change of mood.

"I'm fine, Brennan. I just want to talk to Lexa, see if I can find out what's going on around here. I think she may know something." She turned back around, and he let her go this time, frowning after her disappearing figure.

_She said she was fine._ He stared at his empty hands. He so desperately wanted to believe her.

Her headache was back. Shalimar pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, ignoring the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She turned the corner just in time to a flash of light as Lexa reappeared in front of her office. _Why was she walking around invisible?_ Shalimar dunked back behind the corner as Lexa's dark head turned towards her. She waited, moving forward once she head the office door swing shut.

Murmuring voices told her that Lexa was once again on a conference call. She pressed her ear against the door, easily picking up the conversation and hearing her agree to a meeting. The call ended abruptly, and Shalimar melted away into the shadows before Lexa could open the door again.

"Hey, Shal." Jesse looked up from the computer as Shalimar wandered into the lab.

"Hey." She greeted him back, perching on the edge of one of the beds. "Find Lexa?"

"Yeah." Jesse sighed, looking back at his computer.

Shalimar watched him for a moment. "You two doing ok?"

Jesse looked up, surprised at the question. "Yeah, we're good."

Shalimar raised her eyebrows pointedly.

"Ok," Jesse laughingly conceded at her look, spinning away from the computer and giving her his full attention. "Seriously, we're doing fine. I just worry about her working so much. She can't let it go sometimes, you know?"

"Sounds like someone else I know."

Jesse laughed again, hands raised. "Point taken." He paused, thinking. "I just wish we could have more time together, besides just working I mean. Half the time she's got her nose buried in some secret."

Shalimar glanced up sharply. "Does that bother you?"

"A little," Jesse admitted, shrugging. "But I trust her."

Shalimar frowned at his words, glancing back up as he came near.

"Got a few minutes?" He changed the subject.

"For you, always." She smiled, "What's up?'

"I'd like to do another scan on you."

Her smile dropped. "Why?"

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I just want to make sure you're ok, Shal."

"I'm fine, Jesse."

"Please, Shalimar. I worry about you. That serum really did a number on your system. I just have to make sure." He shot her an endearing grin.

She never could resist that look. "Oh fine." She pouted as she swung her legs up onto the bed.

"Thanks." Jesse gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before strolling back over to the computer.

"Hey, Jess?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry about earlier."

Jesse's brows drew together in question, winging upward when understanding dawned. "Oh. _That_."

"We'll be more careful, I promise. I mean, I know how I'd feel if I were to suddenly stumble onto you and Lexa." She made a face, searching for words. "I'd be---"

"Scarred for life?" Jesse helpfully volunteered with a grin.

"Point taken." She smiled ruefully.

"Don't worry." Jesse threw her a smile over his shoulder. "It's already forgotten. Now lay still." He clicked a few keys, watching as the scan slowly began moving down her body. A moment later, results began appearing on his screen.

Shalimar sat back up as soon as the scan finished. "Well?"

Jesse's eyes flew across the screen. "I'm not a doctor, but everything still looks good. No sign of the serum." He looked up. "It's been three weeks. I think you're in the clear now."

"Good." Shalimar hopped off the bed.

"The only thing I see is that your blood pressure is a little high." Jesse continued reading the screen.

Shalimar leaned back against the bed. "What could cause that?"

Jesse thought for a moment. "Oh, lots of things." He ticked a list off his fingers. "Change of diet, medication, stress, pregnancy—"

"We're pregnant?" Brennan's face was pale as he interrupted, stepped into the lab.

"We?" Shalimar looked at him, a small smile playing around her lips.

_"Pregnant?"_ Brennan's voice came out as a squeak.

"You said we." Shalimar repeated with a grin, ignoring his question.

"Yeah." Brennan sank down next to her, staring at her.

Jesse took pity on him. "Breathe, Brennan. You heard wrong. No one's pregnant around here."

"Oh." Brennan's color slowly returned.

Shalimar shook her head, laughing at him. "If and when that ever happens, I won't need one of Jesse's scans to tell me. I'd just know."

Brennan smiled, framing her cheek with one hand. _Someday_, his eyes seemed to promise her. They stared at each other until Jesse pointedly cleared his throat.

The rest of Shalimar's sentence finally sank in, and Brennan turned toward Jesse. "You ran a scan?"

"Just as you asked. All clear."

Shalimar stiffened, pulling away from Brennan. "You asked him to scan me?"

"I was worried about you." He reached for her again, but she pulled back, seething.

"I told you I was fine. You only_ pretended_ to believe me?"

"No! Shal—"

"It's not like that, Shalimar." Jesse calmly broke in.

She whirled toward him, taking him back with the fury building on her face. "_And you!_ You said you were worried about me."

"Shalimar, I do—"

She made a swift chopping motion with her hands, cutting him off. "No, you obviously don't. Not if you're conspiring with Brennan behind my back."

"Conspiring?" Brennan took a step forward, grasping her arm. "Shal, calm down. We just wanted to make sure you're alright."

She wrenched free, glaring at both of them, chest heaving in anger. "I told you. _I'm fine._ If you want to worry about someone, worry about Lexa!"

"Lexa?" Jesse stared at her in confusion. The feral's face was red and mottled with outrage.

"Yes, Lexa!" She spat her words. "She's been lying to us, getting calls she's denied, arranging secret meetings. I saw her."

"Shal," Jesse shook his head, trying again. "She's just doing her job."

"You believe her over me?" Her fists clenched in cold fury.

Stunned, Brennan stared at her. _What was this?_ Gone was the smiling face that had looked so tenderly at him just moments before. In its place was a face etched with terrible anger.

Jesse cautiously stood to his feet. "What's gotten into you, Shal? Why are you suddenly attacking Lexa?"

"Attacking?" Shalimar snorted derisively. "She's got you fooled, Jesse."

"Stop it, Shalimar." He took a step near her, arms crossed defensively. "She hasn't done anything but help us since she got here."

"Oh," Shalimar retorted hotly, "She hasn't done anything but help herself to your bed!"

Jesse's eyes glinted, and he took another step forward.

_"That's enough."_ Brennan stepped between them, tone boding no argument. He stared Jesse in the eyes. "Let it go."

The muscles in Jesse's jaw clenched tightly for a moment and then he blew out a breath, nodding.

"Shalimar?" Brennan's tone softened as he turned toward her with a questioning gesture.

Her face twisted with emotion, and she backed away, both hands clutching her temple. "Leave me alone, Brennan." She took two more steps backward before turning and running, feet pounding down the hallway.

"Shalimar! Damn it!" Brennan whirled and banged his fist into the wall. "What the hell is going on around here?"

Still angry, Jesse threw his hands into the air.

Brennan grumbled under his breath, hitting the wall again for good measure on his way out. _He had to find some answers._ He paced the hallway, thinking, halting as Shalimar's earlier words came back to him. _She had thought she ran into someone outside_. Cold fear washed over Brennan at the thought, and he turned mid-step, walking back to the garage. He paused to pull on his boots, throwing the door open.

Chester came bounding toward him, barking excitedly.

"Not this time, girl." Brennan bent down and petted her for a moment before carefully closing the door on her crestfallen expression. He didn't want her in danger if there was someone out there. Cautiously, he stepped through the makeshift path he and Jesse had shoveled. Seeing the point in the snowbank where Shalimar and Chester had scrambled over earlier, he stepped up onto the bank, relieved when his feet only sank a few inches. Shalimar's footprints were clear in the smooth snow, obviously following Chester's as they weaved down towards the forest. Brennan followed, seeing the area where she had run and then knelt in the snow. Chester's prints were easy to pick out, making random patterns as she must have gleefully scampered through the snow. Also marring the smooth surface was one other set of animal tracks, circling the area. Brennan frowned, eyes desperately raking the ground with growing dread.

White fields of snow rolled undisturbed as far as the eye could see, smooth and gleaming in the moonlight.

There were no other footprints to be found.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Thank you all so much! Your feedback is amazing, and I can't thank you enough! Thank you Quadrantje, Melodie, MariShal, CatJerica, Mayra, Blackpanther, Fiery Feral, Rain, Jessica, Lauren13, Mfkngst! I am so happy you are sticking with the series and enjoying it still. I hope you continue to enjoy it! I realized as I was uploading that I posted my first story one year ago today! :) I can't believe it's been a year and 181,465 words later already! (That's what my profile says at least, lol!) Thank you again so much!

All Things—Chapter Five

The sound of savage punching gave Brennan his first clue as to where Shalimar was located; the sound of angry grunts told him her mood hadn't changed. He sighed, following the aggressive sounds to the weight room. It wasn't as beautiful as their original dojo had been, but it was more practical for the team, hence the move a few years ago to a lower level room. He rounded the corner, wincing at the powerful hiss of air as her fist made direct contact with the punching bag. He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. He knew she immediately sensed his presence, it was evident in the tensing of her shoulders, but she gave no other indication of it, and he waited, silent for several minutes, watching. She had obviously been at it for a while. Even though the room was kept at a lower temperature than the rest of Sanctuary, sweat ran in rivulets down her back, plastering her cotton shirt to her small frame. She had piled her long hair on top of her head, and the mass of curls tilted precariously with every vicious jab. She rarely put her hair up, and seeing the long, creamy expanse of neck gave him pause. She smirked slightly, somehow knowing his exact thoughts, and he dragged his eyes back to her face. The smile flitted away, replaced by a scowl as she threw another punch. He had the sudden feeling that it was his face she was seeing as she planted her fist squarely in the center of the protesting bag.

"Shal." He finally spoke, pushing himself off the doorframe.

She ignored him, fists continuing their rapid pummel.

"Shalimar, please."

Her eyes darkened slightly, but she made no move to stop. Brennan groaned, walking over to the wildly swinging bag and holding it still as he stood behind it, letting her continue her rant. Several minutes passed before he tried again.

"Come on, Shal." Talk to me."

She paused to glance up at him, blowing a damp strand of hair out of her eyes before punching again. Impatient, he reached out to grab her arm, but she only pushed him away.

He stumbled back, catching himself after a few steps, staring at her in frustration. She didn't even spare him a glance, continuing to take out her aggression on the punching bag. His own anger pushed to the surface, and he stomped back over to her, arms outstretched.

"Is that what you want? You want to hit me? Then go ahead." He stopped alongside the punching bag, brows raised.

"Stop it, Brennan." She spoke finally, voice low.

"Stop what? Stop caring? I can't do that, Shal."

Her hands dropped to her side, chest heaving as beads of sweat ran heavy down her temple. "Stop patronizing me." She swiped a hand across her face, catching the dripping sweat. "I saw your face in the lab."

"What?" His hands flung out again in confusion.

"You didn't believe me, you and Jesse both."

He took a stop toward her. "Shal—"

_"I said don't!"_ She took a step back. "Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?"

He tried again to edge closer. "Don't you know by now, I would sooner die than cause you more pain?"

"Then why won't you believe me?" Her voice cracked, and his heart constricted.

"I want to believe, Shal. I want us to figure this thing out together."

"Lexa lied to us."

He raised one palm up in question. "She's always kept her Dominion secrets from us, it's part of who she is," He tried to lighten the mood. "Complexa, remember?"

She didn't smile, and he winced as his joke fell flat.

"The footprints," She suddenly looked up. "The footprints will show you—"

"No, Shal." He shook his head, pain showing in his eyes. "I looked. There—there's no other footprints."

She stared at him in silent disbelief. _No footprints?_ She raised a hand, bracing it against her forehead in confusion. "But I saw them. They were there, Brennan."

He shrugged helplessly, unsure what to say.

"I didn't imagine them. There were there. _Someone_ was there, outside." She whimpered, shaking her head. "I'm not crazy here, Brennan. I can't explain it, but I sawthem, I saw Lexa. You _have _to believe me."

"I didn't see anything, Shalimar." His voice was gentle as he took another step closer to her.

_"No!"_ She held both hands out in front of her in a gesture of denial, "I saw them."

It was then he finally noticed her hands. They were taped, but the abuse they had taken had ripped through, and blood soaked the tape, skin showing angry and inflamed.

"Oh Shal." His heart broke.

Her eyes lowered, and she started, staring at her hands in confusion, as if seeing them for the first time. "What?" Tears welled in her eyes. "What's happening to me, Brennan?"

He reached over, closing the rest of the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. She struggled for a moment, fists pounding on his chest in fear and frustration, but he stood still, holding her. Finally, slowly, she stopped resisting, sagging into him, arms crossed in front of herself protectively, shuddering as she refused her tears. _She could not be weak, not now._ She dropped her head, stiffening in his embrace.

"Shal?" He pulled back slightly, dunking his head to meet her eyes.

She resisted his gaze. "I'm fine, Brennan."

He looked at her a moment more, then reached out and tipped her chin up. Love spoke where words failed and their connection flared, recognizing the hope and the pain in each other's eyes. Tears spilled down her cheeks in silent rivers, and suddenly, before he even realized it, he was holding her again, and her arms were holding him back.

It had been hours, and he still hadn't left the relative safety of the lab. He felt foolish for thinking that elsewhere in Sanctuary wouldn't be as safe, but he knew that as long as he stayed put, he was safe from Shalimar. _Shalimar_. He shook his head, still not quite sure what had happened. He regretted now losing his temper. Something was wrong around here, and it was his responsibility to fix it. It always was.

He groaned and rubbed his tired eyes, feeling the affects of the strain he forced upon them from hours of computer work. _Nothing._ Endless files of research and medical documents and nothing to indicate anything about mood swings in ferals. Shalimar was in perfect health. If there was anything wrong with her, it was beyond his ability to find it. _Not good enough._ He swore, shoving his chair back and pounding the table in frustration. It was up to him to find the answer. It was always up to him.

"Jesse?"

He glanced up sharply to see Lexa standing in the hallway, head poking in. He hadn't even heard her enter. He hadn't really seen her all day, he realized as she walked in the room. His eyes automatically monitored her as she crossed toward him, gauging her strength. She had been sick a few weeks ago, and he still worried about her. She worked too much. So did he. He frowned at the thought.

She quirked an eyebrow at his expression. "Bad day?"

He huffed sarcastically. "You could say that."

She walked the rest of the way up to him as he sank back into his chair, hands framing his face, brushing his hair back off his temple and then lifting his gaze up to hers.

"Tell me."

"You didn't hear it?"

She shrugged. "I was...out."

His lips pressed together at her cryptic response. "Well, you missed a big fight."

"Brennan and Shalimar?"

He blew out his breath. "Brennan, Shalimar, and me."

"Hmm, probably a good thing I wasn't here then." She smiled ruefully. "It might have been much worse."

His lips tilted upward in a small smile, searching her eyes as her hands stroked his cheeks in comfort. She stared back at him, and he saw nothing but warmth and familiarity looking back. He smiled at her, standing up and twisting his fingers around Lexa's, leading her out of the lab and into his bedroom. He groaned as he sank onto the edge of his bed, wrapping his arms around her waist as she stepped between his legs and pulled her close, resting his head against her chest. He could hear her heartbeat, and it was slow and steady. _Shalimar was just wrong. _His eyes fell shut as her head bent down over his, lips pressing into his brow, hair cascading down over them both in a dark shimmer and cutting off the light.

It was getting late, but Brennan didn't notice, so intent was he on the woman in his arms. He knew she hated to cry; she seemed to equate it with a sign of weakness. But to him, her tears were a welcome relief; it meant he had broken through her walls. It scared him to think that one day he might not be able to. His arms tightened imperceptibly. They had been through much together, relied on each other for strength and for hope, but she was still afraid to show weakness. Sometimes he wondered if it was part of her feral nature. In the wild, a wounded animal went into hiding to avoid becoming prey; she seemed to share the same instinct.

Her grip had grown lax, hands still clutching fistfuls of his shirt, but with less desperation. She could hang onto him forever if she wanted, he didn't care.

Too soon, she pulled away, hand starting to rise to his face, but stopping in chagrin as she remembered the blood. Her eyes darted to his shirt, wincing.  
"Sorry."

He didn't even glance down, holding her with his eyes. "It's not important."

"But your shirt--"

"Shalimar."

The feel of his gentle hand sliding around her jaw and cupping the back of her neck cut her off. She trembled as his fingers found a stray curl and wrapped around it, brushing softly against the nape of her neck.

"Are we ok?" He finally spoke, anguish just beneath the surface of his voice.

Her heart slammed in her throat, ashamed at her anger. "Yeah."

"We'll figure this out Shal, I promise."

Somehow, in that moment, she believed him, pushing up on her toes and pressing a kiss against his mouth. He kept it light, resisting when she tried to deepen it, gentling the motion with feather soft kisses on her cheeks, her brow, and finally again on her lips.

She kept her hands at her sides, and he reached down, drawing them into his own hands and raising them up, kissing the bruised knuckles. She smiled tumultuously up at him, head shaking slightly.

"I love you, Brennan."

"I know." One corner of his mouth lifted in a teasing grin. He pressed another kiss to her hands before leading her over to a chair. "Sit." He prompted softly, kneeling in front of her as she sank into the chair, carefully unwrapping the damaged tape from her hands. She winced a few times, but was quiet otherwise, and the silence rose between them, thick and warm. Finally he finished, relieved to see her recovering hand hadn't suffered serious damage and that the tape had caught the blood. Other than some nasty scrapes, they were fine.

"I need to talk to Jesse." He glanced up as she spoke, seeing her face twist with regret and another emotion he couldn't quite read.

"Yeah," He gently agreed. "But I think he'll understand if you wait until tomorrow. It's late, and we're all exhausted."

She sighed and nodded. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry at him."

Brennan worried his upper lip between his teeth, debating his next words.

"You want to know why I got so upset?" Shalimar asked for him. "I don't know, Brennan. I had this headache, and I just felt so frustrated. I am so tired of all the secrets and lies from the Dominion, from Lexa sometimes, from our last few missions, I don't know..." She shook her head, at a loss. "I just can't take it sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." He sighed heavily, wrapping an arm around her waist as he leaned forward, resting his head in her lap. Her hands landed in his hair, its spiky fineness tickling her palms. "I just need you to talk to me, Shal. Don't leave me out of this."

Her fingers tightened in his hair as he waited, holding his breath.

"Alright."

His breath blew out of him at her whispered words, and he lifted his head, catching her hands as they slid down to frame his face.

"That's all I need."

They stared at each other for a moment. His eyes flickered and darkened, and she gasped softly, leaning forward and meeting his searching lips. He didn't hold back this time, and they kissed for long moments, comforting and reassuring with touches so gentle they brought an ache to her throat.

The sound of Chester's paws clicking on the floor as she wandered into the weight room and whined for attention finally drew them apart. Shalimar bent over, picking up the little dog and holding her to her chest as they walked toward the bedrooms.

"Your room or mine?" Brennan teased softly in her ear as they neared their rooms.

"Yours." She smiled up at him, fingers stroking Chester's silky ear as the dog rested her head on her shoulder in contentment. Brennan dropped a kiss on her head before moving ahead of her and pushing his door open, holding it for her. She dunked under his arm, thinking back on the past few days. She wasn't sure when all the unease and tension had started, but she felt relieved knowing Brennan was by her side. _Why had she even doubted him for a second?_ Her fingers stilled, tangling in Chester's fur. _Cole. It had started with Cole._ She turned towards Brennan as his fingers brushed lightly against her lower back, steering them further into the room.

"Brennan?"

"Hmm?" He stepped past her on his way into the bathroom.

"What did Cole mean by 'more tail'?" She set Chester down on the bed and rummaged through a drawer for a t-shirt to sleep in.

It was quiet for a beat.

Brennan's head popped out from behind the partially open bathroom door. He looked conflicted.

Her stomach fluttered, and she searched his eyes, desperate for the connection.

But he disappeared back into the bathroom, voice casual as he answered her above the running water. "When we used to be tight, he'd always give me a hard time about, well—all the girls I was with."

_Humph_. She frowned. She knew Brennan had always had a rather active social life, but she didn't like to think about it. "That's it?"

"Uh, yeah. That's about it."

He was brushing his teeth, but even through his mumbling, she knew he wasn't telling her something. Her headache was once again coming back, and a quiver of fear licked up like a flame. Without warning, she had the overwhelming sense of a shadow above her head, and she fought the urge to cower, fingers clutched into her lap, watching Brennan under lowered lashes as he came back out and settled into the bed.

"You ok?" He noticed her closed expression, afraid she was shutting him out again.

"Yeah." She spoke after a moment, laying down and turning onto her side. "I'm fine."

For the first time since they had been together, both Brennan and Shalimar were worried when they went to bed, and both lay awake, lost in their own contemplation and doubts. Shalimar stewed for what seemed like hours, mind racing. _Brennan. Jesse. Lexa._ She didn't know what to think, what to believe. Her head throbbed dully. Finally, she began to drift off to sleep, body relaxing, her mind letting go of the niggling fears. _No matter what is going on, I trust Brennan. I'll trust him forever... _

Brennan sensed she had fallen asleep, so he turned and propped his head up on his hand to watch her. Gently he pushed a curl from her face. He felt an overwhelming need to protect, to guard this woman who tried to seem so fierce and independent, but was truly fragile, as all life was fragile. He fought the sleep coming over him, not wanting to surrender the intensity of emotion that coursed through him as he drew her into his arms, and she curled unconsciously against him in her sleep. Love, unlooked for and utterly beyond his understanding, had a grip on his heart that pained him. Maybe if he'd learned it as a child, known it for years as others did, maybe then it would not be so terrifying. _He would believe her. He had to._ He closed his eyes and buried them in her hair, tucking her chin into his chest as she curled even closer. His breathing matched hers, and he knew what it was to be one.

In the stillness of the night, she arose, easing out of bed, freezing for a moment as the figure next to her stirred and mumbled. She held her breath as he turned, hand landing on her pillow and settling back into sleep. She ran her eyes along his body, caressing the outline of his arm as it curled where she had just been. After a moment, she turned, tiptoeing across the darkened room and stealing through the door, careful not to let the light from the hallway fall across his eyes. She paused in the hallway, eyes darting both ways and then slipping around the corner. In the garage, she picked her way through the darkened room, finding one of the guy's boots that were too large for her feet, but tugging them on anyway. She was still in her nightgown, not willing to take the risk of changing and being caught, so she chose a long, thick coat that fell past her calves, pulling the hood over her head and tucking her hair inside. She took one last look around before pulling open the outside door. She shivered, staring up into the cloudy, starless sky before taking a deep breath and disappearing into the swirling darkness.

He wouldn't like it if she were late.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm now in the middle of chapter eleven, so it's slowly coming along! I just have to add a little disclaimer and say the same thing I said to my beta writer: trust me and don't kill me! :) There is a method to the madness that is this story. :) So I know parts are confusing, but it's meant to be that way. My challenge is to balance that confusion so I reveal enough without giving way too much, if that makes any sense at all! Thank you for your amazing feedback. Rain, Mayra, Blackpanther, Fiery Feral, CatJerica, Melodie568--thank you so much! Quadrantje, my professors always lectured to me that words are the only things that should be in a story; hence paragraph breaks should be indicated with proper transitions, not marks. I will work on my transitions and try to make it more clear whose point of view is being spoken! Sorry about that! Although there are times in this story, such as the ending of the previous chapter, that it is purposefully vague. I hope that is ok! Jessica, where else can we find them if not in our dreams and in fanfic?! :) Thank you so much. Thank you everyone for your feedback and support. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

All Things-Chapter Six

She was walking in the hallway. She knew the way, but was amazed by the density of the darkness. She looked up. No lights to be found. A shiver ran down her back. She glanced over her shoulder, but there was nothing there. She sighed, and kept walking. The darkness was almost tangible, giving the illusion of substance, and she stopped suddenly, reaching out to touch what appeared to be there. All her senses probed the darkness, but her hand slid through empty air. Nothing, only her mind playing tricks. She licked the dryness from her lips.

Suddenly from her left, a huge shadow leapt from the rafters, landing in the hallway before her, and she just had time to make out a vague shape before it attacked. Her heart pounded in her ears as she stood frozen, watching as the thing came down upon her. She couldn't move, and sharp claw-like fingers reached for her as the walls began to close in. She was trapped. All her flesh trembled, and she crouched, throwing her arms over her head, frantic to cover herself. But it wasn't enough, and despairing, she closed her eyes, waiting for the pain. _Prey. Fear. Darkness._ A cold shadow taking form. In the back of her mind, she knew it, somewhere deep. Suddenly the shadow moved again with great speed, and in a rush came recognition and terror; she screamed.

Something pressed on her eyelids like weights, and then she realized it _was_ her eyelids. A throbbing awareness kindled and strove through the mire that slogged her mind. Her eyes flickered open, and light, soft light, flooded her senses. Her chest felt constricted, her head throbbing a rhythm with no tune. Her mouth was filled with down, a thick cloying dryness. She breathed in great gasps as the familiar walls of Brennan's bedroom washed over her. _It was just a dream_. She willed her heart to stop its mad pounding. Sweat ran down her back, and she realized with a start that she was hot, so hot. She flung back the downy comforter, staggering out of the bed and falling on her hands and knees to the floor, groaning. The floor was mercifully cool, and she pressed her forehead into the slate as waves of nausea rippled through her again and again. A tiny head butted against her shaking arms, and she squinted one eye open to see Chester nudging her, trying to get her to rise. A half-sob escaped her lips as she rolled to her side, gathering the quivering little dog in her arms as her rough tongue licked her face eagerly. She curled her legs up to her chest, staring at the soft wash of light shining in from the small frosted glass window in Brennan's door. It couldn't be much past dawn she dully decided, relieved when her stomach finally stopped rolling. She didn't know how long she lay there, but as her body finally stopped shaking and her eyes grew heavy, she crawled back to the bed, head pressed into her pillow, staring at Brennan. He looked so peaceful; his long form partially hidden by covers representing all that was safe and warm. She reached a hand out to shake him, and his eyes slowly opened to focus on her.

"Hey," he whispered sleepily.

"Hey."

For a few moments they stared at each other, while he waited patiently for her to let him know why she had awoken him.

"I can't sleep," She finally confessed, eyes begging him to understand.

He stared at her for a few more seconds and then lifted the covers, beckoning her closer as he slid back a little to make more room.

She could smell his musky scent, and she crawled over, welcoming the warmth of his body as she realized she had grown cold again. She must have lain on the floor for a long time. He brought the covers back over them both, smiling when he felt her cold feet pressing against his calves. He wrapped one leg around hers as he pulled her against him, staring into her eyes as she shared his pillow. They crinkled tenderly back at him, but he could see a hint of something darker within their depths, and he wrapped his arm more fully around her.

"Bad dream?"

_He knew her so well._ She nodded her head against the pillow, and he reached up to brush her tangled hair off her face.

"Try to sleep," he gently ordered, "I'll protect you from the monsters." One lid dropped in a teasing wink.

Her lips curved gratefully, smiling back at him as she brought her mouth to his in a slow kiss. She shifted closer yet, t-shirt riding high on her thighs. His hand stroked from her waist down to her hip, following the curve to her thigh, pushing up under her borrowed t-shirt and teasing the sensitive skin of her stomach, chasing away the lingering bits of fear from her eyes. She drank in the comfort he offered, eyes closing as he pressed his lips against each lid, thumb stroking her cheek, murmuring gentle words until she felt herself drift off once again.

The next thing she knew a hand was on her arm, and she startled awake to see Jesse standing over her. Light was strong now, filtering into the room through the open door, and Brennan still slept behind her, arm heavy across her stomach. She must have turned during the night.

Jesse held a finger to his lips, whispering. "Dress warmly and meet me in the garage."

He went out, and Shalimar slipped out of the warm cocoon of Brennan's embrace, pausing to press a soft kiss to his forehead and then padding to her own room to shower and change. Jesse waited for her outside. With the rosy glow of winter sky behind him and the white cloud of his breath as he leaned on the doorframe, she stopped to watch him. He turned, looped her neck with a scarf and handed her some mittens.

"What's all this?" She tugged the red mittens on.

"I thought we should talk." He took her arm, leading her down the path. His mouth quirked as he gestured at the mountain. "Thought this would be neutral territory."

She stopped walking, raising her face to his apologetically. "Jesse, I was out of line yesterday." She shook her head. "I'm so sorry."

He turned towards her, relief evident. "I hate it when we fight." He suddenly grinned, brows raised. "You scare me when you're angry." He laughed as she lightly slapped his chest.

"Forgive me?"

"Always." He pulled her into a hug, then leaned back, wrapping the scarf more securely around her neck. "Let's walk."

She smiled, leaning on his arm. "It snowed again last night."

"I like it," He commented, looking around. "It's like a fresh start."

She squeezed his arm in understanding, enjoying the silence as they continued to walk. Snow crunched under their feet, scattering the fine powder that covered the old snow. The brilliance of the sparkles dazzled their eyes as the dawning sun crested the horizon.

"We've come a long way, Shalimar." Jesse broke the silence finally, voice low as he watched the sunrise.

She nodded. "Little did we know what life would bring us when we arrived here all those years ago."

"Do you miss it?"

She turned towards him, not understanding his question.

"Adam being here and having all the answers, not having to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders."

She shook her head. "I miss Adam. Emma." They smiled at each other sadly. "In some ways it was easier back then, we didn't know what we do now. We were sheltered even more than we knew."

"Yeah." Jesse sighed heavily.

"But we're still together," She rested her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk. "And I couldn't imagine life without Brennan."

"Or Lexa."

Shalimar stiffened at the mention of her name. Jesse frowned slightly, stopping them again. "What?"

She dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry, Jesse. I know she's our friend and she's helped save us countless times, I just—" She paused, searching for words. "I just get tired of the secrecy sometimes."

"I love her, Shal."

She swallowed tightly. "I know, and I'm happy for you, I really am." She couldn't explain the recent unease she felt, so she let it go, unwilling to cause more conflict at the moment. She would sort it all out later. She smiled up at him.

He grinned back; shivering as he suddenly slapped his arms against his sides. "It's cold out here, Shal. Let's go back and get breakfast." He pulled her into another quick hug before they turned back around.

Brennan and Lexa were waiting just outside Sanctuary when they returned.

"You two are mad!" Lexa hollered as they came near. "It's freezing out here!"

Jesse bent and scooped up a handful of the fresh powder, quickly forming a ball that he hefted into the air.

Lexa's eyes widened and she ran for the doorway with a screech. "Jesse! Don't you dare!"

He laughed, making chase.

Shalimar shook her head at their antics, walking the rest of the way as Brennan waited for her. In the clear light of the morning, it somehow seemed that everything would be ok, and she grinned at him as he caught her gaze and held it. His hair was woolly with flakes, day-old whiskers iced and cheeks raw. She blinked at the sudden rush of tears, ashamed she had doubted him for a second, doubted any of them, and rushed forward the rest of the way, catching his cold cheeks between her palms with a laugh.

"I missed you this morning." His breath was white with every word.

"Good." She smiled saucily up at him.

Suddenly he crushed her into his embrace and buried his face in the crown of her hair for a moment, laughing with her as he half carried, half swung her inside and kicked the door shut with Chester jumping around them in eager jubilation. He cupped her head, raised her face, and kissed her.

"You need a shave." She pulled back, waggling her brows.

His eyes sparked. "You offering?"

She grinned over her shoulder at him as she turned to hang up her coat. "Maybe. But first you have to feed me."

He groaned good-naturedly, catching her hand as they walked towards the kitchen.

Jesse and Lexa looked up as they entered, ingredients for omelets already scattered around the counter.

"Just in time," Jesse appealed to Shalimar as crossed over to the fridge and pulled out the orange juice. "You guys mind cooking this morning? I heard my computer beeping for me as we came in."

"Yeah, go ahead." Shalimar rolled her eyes as he brightened, "I know you can't survive for long away from that thing."

"He'd marry it if he could," Brennan laughed as he sank into a stool, leaning his elbows on the counter.

"He better not," Lexa huffed, exchanging a warm smile with Jesse as he grinned back at her as he left the room.

Shalimar eyed the dark-haired woman, but she could sense no secrets from her this morning. She relaxed her shoulders as she cracked eggs into a bowl. "Make yourself useful." She slid a cutting board over to Brennan, tossing him a bright pepper.

He caught it with one hand, grumbling under his breath as he started to slice it. As much as he loved eating, he hated to cook. At Shalimar's pointed look, he snapped his mouth shut, remembering her earlier comment and deciding it was in his best interest to behave.

Lexa smirked at him as she finished shredding the cheese and sprinkled it onto the egg mixture Shalimar was pouring into the griddle. "Can you move any slower with that, Brennan?"

Brennan caught her expression, shoving the cutting board and knife over to her. "Here then, you finish." He stood to his feet, leaning across the counter to steal a handful of the leftover cheese, pouting at Shalimar as she slapped his hand away.

"Don't eat that," She reprimanded, "That's for the omelets." She shook her head as he took a big gulp of her orange juice instead, reaching up to wipe the liquid off his upper lip. "Helpless baby," She whispered tenderly.

He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her thumb, shoulders drooping when she next handed him an onion.

"You're not getting off that easy." She laughed, waving the spatula at him.

"Hey Brennan!" Jesse's voice called from the other room. "You gotta see this!"

"Ha!" Brennan grinned, tossing the onion back at her as he jumped to his feet. "Duty calls!" He dashed from the room before they could stop him.

"Men." Lexa's fingers closed over the knife, slicing cleanly into the pepper.

Shalimar nodded in agreement, glancing at the other woman after a few moments of silence. "Hey Lexa?"

"Yeah?" Lexa picked up the onion next, knife poised to slice as she looked up at Shalimar in question.

"Why did you lie to us about not talking to your contact?"

_Schnit. _The knife whistled as it slammed through the onion.

"I didn't lie."

Shalimar bit her lip. "But I saw you, in your office."

_Schnit. _Another chop and the onion fell apart.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Shalimar blew out a breath in determination. "Does it have anything to do with the envelope from the meet?"

_Schnit.__ Schnit. _Her knuckles tightened on the knife. "I said I haven't talked to him."

Shalimar threw the spatula on the counter, and it rattled loudly in the silence. "I _saw_ you."

"Leave it alone, Shal." _Schnit. __Schnit._

"Or what?" Angry, she spun, hands on her hips.

Lexa turned towards her, fingers white as she tapped the flat end of the knife meaningfully in her palm. "Or there may be consequences." Two sets of eyes followed the knife as the tip gleamed in the light. "Leave it alone."

Shalimar's eyes flared, and her hands flew out, grasping Lexa by her arm, shoving her back against the counter. "What's going on with you? Why are you doing this?"

Lexa bared her teeth, and Shalimar caught a glimpse of flashing white right before the lights flickered. Startled, both women looked up to the ceiling just as with an abrupt crack, power went out all over Sanctuary, leaving them in pitch black.

Darkness permeated her senses and dread filled Shalimar as a shadowy figure suddenly loomed over her and claw-like fingers seemed to reach for her. Pain throbbed in her temple, and she stumbled back in shock.

It was her dream all over again.

Only this time, she was wide awake.

_Schnit. _The knife slammed down again.


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm now working on chapter 13, still not sure how long this story will be yet! :) Thank you so much MariShal, Lady Alexandra, Rain (you got it! :) ), Mayra, Fiery Feral, CatJerica, Melodie568, Mfkngst (thank you for not giving up! :)), Jessica, Lauren13, Quadrantje. Your words mean so much, thank you! Things get a little intense in this chapter, some things revealed...maybe. :) I hope you enjoy!

All Things—Chapter Seven

She felt the rush of air as the point of the knife slammed down inches from where her hand had landed to brace herself from falling backward. The ridge of scars along her thumb burned at the memory, and her hand jerked back, breath coming in hitching gasps as she shoved a fist in her mouth, stumbling backwards, fighting the overwhelming fear as nightmare turned to reality before her eyes.

The shadow had turned into a monster.

_"Brennan!"_ She screamed his name without even realizing it.

Brennan turned in surprise as the lights went out, the continuous humming of Sanctuary suddenly silent. Silence had never seemed so loud. He barely had time to register the thought when it was broken by a scream that brought chills to the core of his bones. His heart stopped, then slammed in terror, drowning the silence that followed.

Jesse heard Shalimar's scream, but knew he had to first find the lights. Unfortunately, he needed the computers to do so. He swore, knowing it would be once again up to him to fix it. He pushed back his chair, feeling his way down the hall through the darkness. The generators should have kicked in by now, so he wanted to start there. First, he needed to find a flashlight. It was amazing how dark it could be inside a mountain with no windows. He couldn't ever remember a time when Sanctuary had been totally dark. From memory, he found the lab, hearing faint voices from the kitchen, glad that at least Lexa and Shalimar were together in this latest mess. He opened one of the cupboards, feeling inside. A flashlight had to be around here somewhere.

She couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Instinct waged a war in her mind and won, and the feral snarled at the shadow, shrinking from the stretching claws and striking back, powerful kick sending the hunter shadow flying and buying her time. She sprang to her feet, eyes glowing, searching, finding her escape in the open hallway, driven by the mad desire to run, to hide. Somehow, the hunter had become the prey. _Run_. She ached with the urge to disappear into the safety offered her through the doorway, but a tiny part of her fought back, forcing her to turn, crouching as she scanned the kitchen.

"Lexa?" Her voice sounded foreign to her, high and tinny in the darkness.

Ragged breathing sounded for a few moments.

"You almost got me, Shal."

The coldness of the voice stopped her for a moment. She tilted her head, heart pounding, not understanding, fighting against overwhelming instinct. Her blood froze as the distinct sound of steel scrapping against metal told her the knife was being dragged down the counter. She sucked in a sob, the sound sending flashbacks of another time, another knife.

"Lexa?" Her voice cracked as she tried one more time to regain control.

There was a brief hiss of air and then the sickening tear of flesh. _Run_. She gave into instinct and flew out the door, legs buckling beneath her as the walls seemed to close in. Her breath quickened, panic building inside as footsteps came near. Her chest tightened, and the shakes came with vengeance. She raised trembling hands to her face, fighting the image, but it came. Her heart hammered. She threw up her arms to ward off the claws as a shadow bent over her.

Jesse grumbled as he crawled over to yet another cupboard, running his fingers over the contents; nothing. He swore, slamming the door shut and feeling his way to the next one. His impatient fingers felt glass, and he forced himself to slow down, not wanting to get cut. _The extra vials_. He recognized them by their distinctive shape. His fingers unexpectedly dropped as he ran them over the last row, and he frowned. He was missing one? He always kept them fully stocked.

"You're losing it, Kilmartin." He shook his head, muttering under his breath as he moved onto the next cupboard and then the next, brightening as his fingers finally closed over a flashlight. He pulled it out and flicked the switch back and forth. Nothing. "Damn it!" He threw the dead flashlight across the room and gritted his teeth, continuing his search.

Memory gave Brennan speed as he ran down the hallway, towards the kitchen. He hadn't heard anything since Shalimar screamed, and she hadn't answered his calls.

"Shalimar!"

He heard scuffles ahead of him and quickened his pace, grunting as he stumbled over a large potted plant. He grappled with it for a moment, shoving it aside in frustration.

"Shalimar! Answer me!"

His feet slid on the shiny floor as he flew around the corner, and he sensed someone near just as he collided with a body lying in the hallway. For a brief second his heart stopped as the body didn't move, and then a familiar whimper sounded.

"Shalimar?"

He dropped to his knees, hands trembling as they landed on the prone flesh. A knee. A hand flew out from nowhere; striking him, knocking him backward and he tasted blood as he bit down hard on his lip.

The body took shape into a crouch, and he realized with confused relief that it was Shalimar, squatting in a defensive posture.

"Shalimar! It's me!" His voice came out harsh, rasping as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Brennan?" Her voice was small, lost.

"Shalimar!" He breathed her name in relief, scrambling back to his feet and rushing towards her shadowy figure. "Are you ok? I heard you scream." He slowed as she flinched away from him, back pressing into the wall behind her. "Shal?" He knelt down, bringing his head down to her level, hand reaching out for her. Her eyes glowed eerily back at him, and for a moment, he felt a flash of fear. He froze, holding his breath, expelling it loudly when he felt her fingers tentatively close around his outreached hand.

"Brennan?" She sounded dazed, and her golden eyes blinked slowly, staring at him.

"Yeah, I'm here." He gently squeezed her fingers.

He heard her rush of breath and saw her eyes flash and then disappear in the darkness as they slid back to their normal color. She leapt toward him, arms closing around his neck as she pressed her shaking body into his. The move knocked him backwards, and she fell back with him as his arms automatically wrapped around her.

"Are you ok?" He grunted as her fingers dug into his shoulders. She didn't answer, so he pushed himself back up into a sitting position, trying to pull back, but she only clung tighter. He gave up, folding his arms more tightly around her back, burying his nose in her hair.

"Shal?" He tried again, hands caressing her back in soothing circles until she finally stopped trembling.

"What happened?" She finally lifted her face, staring at him through the darkness.

"I don't know," He raised his hands, searching for her face, cupping her cheek when he found it, "The power went out as I was walking to join Jesse, and then I heard you scream."

She grasped his arms tightly in remembrance. "Lexa."

Jesse grinned in triumph as he finally found a working flashlight. He blinked, struggling to adjust his eyes at the light suddenly cast through the room. He swept the light over the lab, shaking his head at the mess he had made while searching in the dark. He needed to look over the generator to get temporary power restored, but wanted to find the others first. Brennan's help might be needed, and he wanted the girls to check the outside doors in case security had been compromised. He pressed his lips together. The power wouldn't just go out without a reason.

Brennan turned quickly as a light bounced toward them. He stood up, keeping Shalimar slightly behind him as he formed a tesla coil, eyes squinting as the light shone directly in his face, blinding him.

"It's me!"

Brennan relaxed, closing his hands as he recognized Jesse's voice. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Jesse stopped as he stepped next to them, passing the light around the hallway. "Where's Lexa?"

Shalimar stiffened at the mention of her name.

"Shal?" Brennan and Jesse turned toward her in question.

"She—she's in the kitchen." Shalimar's face was pale as she stared at them.

Jesse stepped past her, but she caught his arm, spinning him back around to face her.

"Wait." She shook her head. "I don't know what's going on, but she-she tried to attack me."

"Lexa?" Jesse stared down at her in shock.

"Shalimar, what are you saying?" Brennan placed his hand on her shoulder. "Lexa wouldn't hurt you."

"You don't believe me?" Shalimar took a step back.

"No!" Brennan reached for her again. "Wait, Shal. Tell us what happened."

She shook off his hand, eyes darting between both of them. "She tried to hit me with the knife, after you both left."

Jesse shook his head. "Knife? Lexa?"

"I'm telling you, she attacked me, you have to believe me."

_"That's not true!" _

The three of them turned at the sound of a ragged voice down the hallway. Jesse shone the light, gasping as Lexa staggered toward them, holding a bleeding arm.

"Lexa!" Jesse ran towards her as Shalimar moaned, pressing her back against the wall. "What happened?" He shoved the flashlight into his mouth, hands cradling her arm. "You've been cut!"

Lexa nodded, leaning against Jesse for support.

His arms wrapped around her supportively as he turned them back towards Brennan and Shalimar. "What the hell happened?"

Brennan stared in shock at Lexa for a moment, then turned back to Shalimar in confusion. "Shal?"

Her head pounded, and she shook it, trying to focus as the smell of blood hit her and questioning eyes bore down on her. _Trapped._ She braced both hands behind her on the wall.

"She attacked me with the knife."

At Lexa's whispered words, she gasped, shaking her head, fighting the dull roar that rushed in her ears. "No."

"Shal?" Brennan stared down at her in horror, hands hovering uncertainly above her.

_"No."_ She moaned again, _"No, no, no."_

"Shalimar, please." Brennan's voice cracked as he finally touched her shoulder. "What did you do?"

_Do._ She stared at him as the horrible truth washed over her. _He didn't believe her. He believed Lexa_. She wrenched free of his grip, backing away. "She's lying. She cut herself." She shoved a fist into her mouth. "She-she's framing me."

Brennan's face twisted with agony and his stomach soured as he stepped toward her. She looked scared, wild, eyes darting between them as Jesse shone the light on her. "We'll figure this out. It'll be ok, just talk to me." He reached for her, but she held a hand out in warning. He paused, uncertain.

"She attacked me," Lexa spoke up again, straightening up as she took a step closer. "Something's wrong with her."

_"No!"_ Shalimar's hands flew up, pressing against her ears.

"The serum." Jesse whispered suddenly, staring at her. "Do you think she's still infected?"

Brennan twisted to look at Lexa, her bloodied arm. Her paled, looking back at Shalimar. _It couldn't be._ His mind fought against the idea. "But she—she hasn't been sick."

Jesse's brows furrowed. "Sick?"

"The serum made her sick, she'd be sick if she was still infected."

They talked about her like she was no longer in the room._ Nightmare. Fear. _She banged her head against the wall, struggling to think clearly. _Knife.__ Blood. Serum. _

"Something's obviously wrong with her." Lexa winced as she tried to move her arm.

"Careful," Jesse's hand stilled her movements. He shined the flashlight back at her injured arm, peering close, feeling sick at the ragged and torn flesh.

"Jesse," Lexa implored him with a whisper as he bent close. "Something's wrong with Shalimar. We have to stop her, she might try something else."

Jesse looked into her eyes, before closing his in resignation. "Alright." He whispered back. He straightened back up, stepping up next to Brennan as he continued to hover by Shalimar.

Shalimar looked up as they both stood in front of her, watching as Jesse shifted his stance uneasily. _They didn't believe her._ The walls closed in.

"Shalimar," Brennan spoke slowly, carefully. "We think you might still be sick. We need to get you to the lab so we can scan you." He reached out for her again. "Please."

Her eyes bounced between them. "Ok." She licked her dry lips, watching as both their shoulders dropped with relief. She took a few steps past them and toward the lab, suddenly breaking into a run.

"Shalimar!" Brennan hollered her name as he dove after her, tackling her by the legs and bringing her down. She screamed, twisting to her side as they landed hard on the ground, kicking against him.

Jesse ran up to help, grabbing her arm as she struggled free of Brennan's grip.

"No!" She fought blindly, struggling as Jesse wrapped his arms around her from behind and Brennan held her kicking legs.

"Shal, please." Brennan's voice broke as he strained to hold her, "Let us help you."

She stopped fighting abruptly, falling limp in their arms.

They stared at each other, chests heaving as they panted for breath.

"I trusted you." Her eyes were huge, sad. She sounded like a lost little girl.

Brennan groaned; head dropping as tears filled his eyes. _How had it come to this?_ He swallowed bitterly. "We'll take care of you, Shal." He rasped, heart breaking.

"I'm not the one who's sick." She implored, shaking her head as they looked at each other doubtfully. _"It's not me!"_

"Come on," Brennan released his hold on her legs. "Let's get you to the lab."

She glared at them as she struggled back to her feet.

"Lexa, can you walk?" Jesse looked back at Lexa as she leaned heavily against the wall.

"Yeah." She nodded, "I'm ok."

Shalimar took advantage of Jesse's distraction to wrench her arm free from his grasp and again took off running down the hall. _Run._ Instinct drove her forward, crying out in frustrated rage as Brennan again tackled her. They rolled, landing in front of Lexa. Her head landed heavy on the floor, exploding in pain and she curled inward as Brennan called her name and desperately caught her thrashing head. She stilled, eyes landing on Lexa as she bent directly over her.

They stared at each other.

Lexa's lips curled upward into a small, satisfied smile, one lid dropping in a wink.

Shalimar surged upward in rage, but Brennan's hands held her down, Jesse joining him.

Lexa smirked, finger lighting up behind both their backs as they struggled to hold Shalimar.

_"No!"_ Shalimar twisted fiercely as she saw Lexa's intent, eyes widening in fear.

Brennan's head swung around, following her eyes, hissing in a breath as he saw Lexa. "Jesse!" He screamed, releasing his hold on Shalimar and throwing his body at Lexa, knocking her over as she shot a laser at Shalimar. Jesse swung around, dropping the flashlight, and light bounced in crazy circles as it rolled around the floor.

"Jesse, it's Lexa!" Brennan's voice roared through the darkness as a howl of rage tore from the dark-haired woman's lips, screaming as Brennan pulled her injured arm back behind her.

Jesse grappled for the flashlight, shining it on the struggling pair, starting when he saw the crazed look in Lexa's eyes.

Shalimar crawled to him, staring at the sight. _"Riley,"_ She breathed. "I recognize that look."

Jesse turned to look at her sharply, then looked back at Lexa. "You think Lexa's infected? That's impossible. She never had contact." His heart slammed in his throat as Lexa suddenly turned on him, gnashing her teeth as Brennan struggled to hold her. _She had been sick. The missing vial._ He groaned, bending forward for a moment, sickened. Shalimar's hands fell on his back.

"I'm sorry, Shal." He whispered into his hands, feeling her squeeze his shoulder in return. He took a deep breath, pushing himself to his feet. "She—she seems to be infected with something. But how?"

"We can figure that out later," Brennan gritted, keeping both her arms tightly behind her as she screamed at Jesse's words. "For now, I could use some help here." His muscles bulged as he fought to hold her.

"Let's get her to the lab," Jesse sighed heavily, shining the flashlight ahead of Brennan to light the way as they turned and walked down the hallway. "As soon as I can, I'll scan her, and see what's going on."

"It's over." Shalimar's legs shook uncontrollably as they strapped the thrashing Lexa into one of the lab beds, and Jesse prepared a mild sedation, wincing as Lexa hissed angrily at him. She leaned her head against the wall, breathing deeply as her headache slowly subsided to a dull ache and reason returned in waves.

"We're fortunate we have some of the counter-serum leftover." Brennan came over, stopping just in front of her uncertainly.

She looked up at him, watching as he dragged a tired hand through his hair, leaving it standing in spiky clumps.

"Forgive me?" His voice was raw, stricken.

She hesitated. _I trusted him._ She pushed the niggling fear aside. "Of course."

He groaned, pulling her into his arms. Her arms rose and circled around his neck, pressing her nose into his shoulder, breathing his familiar scent. This was Brennan. She loved him. Everything was good again.

"Are you ok?" He pulled back, seeking her eyes. The wildness had dissipated; only familiar brown stared tiredly back at him.

"Yeah." She took a moment to think. "I—I think this was somehow my nightmare last night, and it confused me when it started to happen for real."

He nodded slightly, still watching her closely. "I was scared, Shal." He raised his shoulders at the confession. "I didn't know what to think."

"It's ok now, Brennan. I think maybe I--I somehow sensed that things weren't right, I'm not sure. Everything in me just seemed to go into overdrive."

"Whatever it was, it's over now." He pulled her back into a tight hug. "I love you, Shal." His fingers tightened, digging into her shoulder blades and then tangling in her hair.

"I love you too." She murmured into his chest, eyes falling shut. The nightmare was over. She pulled back after a long moment, cupping his cheek and pressing a kiss into his lips, tasting the relief and the love that he poured back into her. His arm stayed around her shoulder as finally, she turned and they crossed back over to where Jesse was stroking a hand through Lexa's hair. She lay limply on the bed, eyes closed.

"She'll be ok," He whispered, not taking his eyes off her pale face. "I don't understand, how this happened?" He leaned into Shalimar as she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"We'll figure it out." Brennan clapped his shoulder in support and then looped his arm around Shalimar.

Jesse nodded, eyes returning back to Lexa's still face, shuddering at the image of her screaming at him in hatred. "It reminds me of when she had that thing in her neck, controlling her again." His fingers tightened in her dark tresses. "She hated that."

"We'll work through it." Brennan reassured again, ignoring the slight fear he couldn't quite shake, arm tightened subconsciously around Shalimar.

They smiled at each other in support and relief, then turned back toward Lexa.

They were together, that was all that mattered.

Wind howled forlornly, kicking up swirls of snow that blasted against anything in its path. He frowned as he hunched his shoulders against the wind, glancing at his watch one more time. They were late. It had taken him a while, but patience had paid off and he had finally figured out their routine. _Until tonight_. He sighed, pulling back slightly from his watchful position and leaning against the tree, hoping to block some of the blowing wind. Weeks of watching had shown him they always brought the dog out around sundown. Something must have happened to interrupt their routine. He pictured her long, blonde hair as it blew wild around her tiny frame, her smile as she watched the dog. Lately, her smile had been replaced with worry lines. He wondered if it had anything to do with whatever was going on inside tonight. Going by touch, he made sure his surveillance equipment was still working properly. The bitter cold tended to freeze the lens, and he wanted to be prepared in case they came out after all.

They had to eventually. He just had to wait.


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm now in the middle of chapter 14, and based on my rough outline, I think this story will end up being 18 chapters total. That's the plan so far at least, it tends to change as the chapters develop! :) Thank you so much to everyone for your amazing support, your encouragement means the world. I'm sorry my transitions are so confusing, I'm trying to improve on those! Mayra, MariShal, Garfieldlady, Lady Alexandra, CatJerica, Quadrantje, Jessica, Rachel, Meg, Fiery Feral, Brennan's angel, thank you so much! Rain, very perceptive…time shall perhaps tell! :) KT, thank you so much! You are right, this story is definitely different for me, and it's a challenge, that's for sure! The idea of "mind games" is the theme of this one—good catch! :) This next chapter slows things back down a little bit, a sort of temporary reprieve if you will, to allow some reconnection. They're going to need it. Thank you again so much!

All Things—Chapter Eight

Life at Sanctuary was a degree of priorities. It had been their first priority to sedate Lexa, their second to restore power and security. Without power, their defenses down, the mountain itself was their only natural protection. Jesse didn't want to leave Lexa's side, so Brennan had volunteered to take a shot at the generator. He knew nothing about fixing it, but figured he could give it a jolting start. He had been wrong.

Grumbling under his breath, Jesse had left to fiddle with the massive circuit board while Brennan and Shalimar ran a security sweep. Satisfied there was no immediate danger and the blackout had not been planned, they checked one more time on Lexa before settling down in the kitchen. Priorities also included eating, Brennan had reminded Shalimar when his stomach growled loudly in protest.

Cold, slimy eggs greeted them as they stumbled through the darkness, and Shalimar's stomach twisted at the smell, the reminder. She rubbed her hand absentmindedly while Brennan dug wholeheartedly into the fridge, finally rousing herself to find candles and matches and slowly lighting a few on the counter. She pushed aside onion remains and leaned her elbows against the edge as she sank down into a chair.

"Don't drink from the container," She automatically reprimanded Brennan as he tilted the milk carton toward his mouth.

He paused to throw her a look, sighing and grabbing two glasses. She accepted the glass he handed her and took a sip, staring at the flickering light as it cast long shadows that danced and hovered against the far wall. She loved candles. The snap of the wick as it burned lowly, the wafting scent of flame and spice curling in tiny wisps that disappeared into the darkness, it all appealed to her heightened senses and offered a sense of comfort. Lately, the darkness had been disturbing.

"What are you thinking about?" Brennan prodded, easing into a nearby chair and taking a bite out of the sandwich he had thrown together.

"Lexa."

"Ah, that would explain the somber face."

She smiled slightly at his attempt to cheer her up. He grinned at her in triumph, hand reaching over to squeeze her fingers as she tapped them against the counter.

"I really thought she had betrayed us, Brennan."

He put his sandwich down, turning towards her more fully. "Shal, you can't blame yourself for feeling the way you did. She was sick, and you were the only one to see it." He turned her face towards his, "Not even Jesse realized something was wrong."

"I was so angry, Brennan, so confused. I couldn't stand the thought of someone using us that way once again."

"Yeah." His thumb stroked her cheek in agreement. "That seems to be a recurring theme in our lives."

She leaned into his touch. "It hurts too much sometimes, you know?"

His hand slid around to cup the back of her neck, pulling her against his shoulder and pressing a kiss into her hair. "I know."

She stared at the tiny flames licking the air greedily. "Eckhart, GSA, Ashlocke, Dominion Agents, Steven, Luca, Jimmy." Her voice trailed into an agonized whisper. "The list keeps growing longer and longer. When does it all end?"

Brennan shook his head, brow furrowed at her tone. "I don't have the answer, Shal." He felt her tremble beneath his arm.

"It never does, they'll just keep coming and coming." Her eyes blinked as the flames danced larger.

"Hey, hey," Brennan slid out of his chair, kneeling in front of her and peering into her face. "We don't know that."

She stared past him, and he glanced over his shoulder, following her gaze to the candles. He frowned, turning back toward her. "Where's this coming from? This isn't like you."

She laughed, a harsh rasping sound in the shadowy darkness. "We can't win."

"Stop it." Brennan wrapped his long fingers firmly around her chin, turning her face back to his. "We do win, we win everyday we're still alive, still together." He forced eye contact. "They only win when we let them."

She jerked her head out of his grasp, pushing past him, striding around the counter and yanking open the fridge. Brennan sighed as she banged items around the fridge, sitting back into the chair and taking another bite of his sandwich. _"Women."_

She whirled around at his utterance, finger pointing at him warningly. "Don't even think about finishing that sentence."

He stared back at her, taking another bite in defiance. She narrowed her eyes, slopping a slice of bread onto the table and yanking a butter knife out of a drawer, viciously spreading peanut butter around the bread, growling as it clumped into hard lumps and tore up the bread. Cursing, she threw the knife onto the counter where it clattered loudly, peanut butter flying and splattering across her shirt.

Brennan couldn't help it, he chuckled.

Her head jerked up, eyes glaring at his audacity.

Unintimidated, Brennan sauntered over to her, finger reaching out and swiping at one of the blobs clinging to her. She froze as he brought his finger to her mouth, lightly smearing peanut butter around her lips, eyes flaring as his finger then pulled away and landed in his own mouth. She took a step back, but he followed, deliberately crowding her space. Her tongue darted out, tasting the peanut butter, breath coming in shallow puffs as his eyes followed the movement.

"Brennan."

She took a step back, pausing as she brushed against the island counter. His lips curved, brow arched upward in satisfaction.

"You still think we haven't won?" His gaze landed on her mouth.

Her eyes fell shut as he bent his head towards hers, chin tilting imperceptibly upward, fingers clenching the counter top behind her. She could hear his heart beating; feel his breath against her lips as he stopped inches away from her. Anticipation coursed through her in delicious waves, body betraying her determination to stay angry.

"We're the winners, Shal."

His whispered breath brushed tantalizingly against her, and her lips parted slightly, eyes popping open in disappointment as he suddenly pulled back.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you feel it, Shal? Do you want it badly enough to fight for it?" Her eyes flew to his as he grasped her arms, leaning close. "Then we fight, and we win."

She stared at him, swallowing at his words, drinking in the strength he exuded. Her tongue darted out again, licking her lips. "Yes."

He didn't move, waiting.

She cleared her throat, eyes settling into a determined gleam of acknowledgement. "Yes, I want it." She pushed back against him, knocking him against the counter, smirking at his surprised expression. "I want it all." She reached up and grabbed his head with both hands, pulling him down into a kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her off her feet as he straightened, improving their angle as they kissed again. The candles flickered in the silence until they finally pulled back. He breathed heavily, maintaining eye contact as he set her back on her feet. She reached for him again, but he stopped her.

"Are you with me?" His voice was a husky whisper.

"Oh yeah, I'm here." She took a step closer, hands sliding up his chest, face tilted enticingly up at him.

His mouth quirked. "I don't mean just physically, Shalimar." His fingers traced her lips, chuckling as she pouted slightly. "I mean here." He tapped his fingers over his heart.

"I get it, Brennan." She sobered slightly as she twined their fingers together, pressing her palms flat against his. "And you're right, we can't give up. Ours is a road we fight for." She shrugged. "I just don't always have to like it."

He smiled at her words, pulling her into his arms, shivering as her hands rested on his waist. "I'm sorry, Shal."

"Three steps forward, two steps back." Her fingers dug into his sides as she chuckled ironically. "I'm just tired, Brennan. Emotionally and physically tired."

"Come here." He straightened, tugging on her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Confused, she followed him.

He grinned at her over his shoulder. "Rescuing you."

Jesse squinted in the thin light, flashlight clenched in his teeth as his hands ran over the circuit wiring, feeling for breaks. So far, he hadn't been able to find a cause for the power outage. He shook his head as his fingers found the wires that Brennan had fried; the entire section would have to be replaced. He made a mental note of the place before moving on to another section. Time was passing, and he was worried the sedation he gave Lexa would wear off soon. Brennan and Shalimar were convinced she was infected, but he wasn't sure. It seemed impossible; she hadn't had contact, which meant chilling possibilities if she were infected. He grunted, scratching his nose as his fingers moved further over, stirring dust particles into the air. He sneezed, and the light bounced at the jerk of his head. Silver glinted off the light as it hit the bottom of the board, and he froze, pulling the flashlight out of his mouth and swearing softly as he knelt down and shone the light, revealing a tiny microchip timer clamped onto the wire base. He knew two things instantly; that he had found the source for the power outage, and that someone had been inside Sanctuary to plant it there.

She had to admit, Brennan understood women. How he came to that understanding, she would rather not think about, but she sighed gratefully as she sank further down into the warm water and frothy bubbles. Her hand reached out and brought the glass of wine to her lips, eyes falling shut as candlelight winked against the darkness. Quiet. It was soothingly quiet and peaceful. She could almost feel the tension leaving her body as the warmth stole over her. With the power out, the air had grown decidedly chilly, and the contrast now against the steaming water was intense, refreshing. She sank down even further, laughing as bubbles tickled her nose.

Brennan smiled when he heard the sound of her laugh through the open bathroom door. "Mission accomplished," He crowed at Chester, scratching her head as she pressed against him, tail wagging. Shalimar had been right; they had been used a lot lately, and they had been fighting against overwhelming odds that left them scarred and drained. But he would be damned if he let them win. Against all odds, they survived. _They lived._ It had to mean something. He shook himself from his thoughts, pushing himself to his feet and crossing the room.

"Hey, Shal." He poked his head into the doorway, grinning at the sight of her almost sleeping in relaxation, only the tips of her white shoulders visible in the mounds of bubbles. He had used almost the entire bottle to get them so luxurious. "You want me to read to you for a while?"

Her lips curved lazily at the suggestion. "Maybe later. Right now, I'm loving this quiet."

"Ok." He backed out of the bathroom, forcing his eyes away from the tempting sight.

"Brennan," Her voice called lightly after him. "Thanks."

"No problem." He bent down and picked up Chester as she hovered in the doorway. "Oh, no you don't," he warned the little dog as she tried to squirm out of his arms and into the bathroom. "If I can't be in there, then neither can you." He frowned when he realized she was shivering. The temperature was steadily dropping; they needed to get power back on soon. In the meantime, he had an idea.

Shalimar raised a toe out of the bubbles, pushing against the faucet and turning it back on to add more hot water to her cooling bath, relishing in the heat and moist steam as it contracted against the cold air. She heard Brennan faintly talking to Chester over the roar of the water, and the dog whining back in return. When she lifted her toe back out of the water to turn off the faucet, it was quiet again, and her eyes drifted shut. She didn't know how much later it was when she felt a gentle nudge against her arm as she hung it outside the bath. She opened her eyes and shot up straight, mouth gaping in shock. Chester stood beside the bathtub, bumping her head against her arm. Shalimar stared at the little dog, her face comically surprised, and then she started to laugh.

The little dog was wearing thick, lumpy, falling-down bright white socks.

From beyond the bathroom, she heard Brennan running across the room, his voice growing more distinguishable as he came closer, calling after the dog. The footsteps stopped suddenly, then resumed, slow and reluctant.

"Uh, I can explain."

Shalimar stopped scratching the dog's ears, looking at him in amusement. "Hey Brennan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you know that Chester has socks on?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Ok." Shalimar managed to say with the giggles gurgling high up into her throat. "Just making sure I'm not imagining it."

Brennan shrugged, face a little red. "She was cold."

"Ok." Shalimar couldn't quite stop the giggles as she watched Chester clumsily slide down on her haunches, laying down and resting her head on her front paws. Shalimar laughed again, the poor dog's expression was solemn, but her socks were falling and hung down like a long white beard below her chin. As Shalimar laughed at her, she seemed to sigh with longsuffering. _Humans._

Jesse gripped the microchip in his hand, wanting answers. His first thought was that someone had been inside Sanctuary, and his next that the Dominion must somehow be connected. He strode down the hallway, walking into Lexa's office without any hesitation. If this had something to do with the Dominion, chances were they were also responsible for whatever was wrong with her. He stopped in front of her desk, eyes sweeping the room. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for, but he had a feeling he would know it when he saw it. Shalimar wasn't the only one with instincts around here. He sat down, glaring at the dark shadow of the computer. Having no power and hence no computer system was frustrating him. As much as he hated computers sometimes, he depended on them as well. He muttered at the black screen as he yanked open the top desk drawer, rifling through it and then moving on to the next one. He paused as he yanked open the bottom drawer, remembering a time not too long ago when Shalimar had ransacked this office and found a hidden bottom to the drawer. When he and Lexa had returned to Sanctuary and found the mess, Lexa had been embarrassed that a picture of Jesse was left on top of the papers inside the open compartment. She had tried to hide it, but he caught it up faster than she could close the drawer. Jesse smiled at the memory. It had led to their first kiss. He opened the drawer now; removing the false bottom only to find it empty, save for the small snapshot. He sighed; she had moved her hiding place. _Of course she did_, he muttered under his breath, shoving back the chair and circling the room. He loved her, but her secrets would be the death of him someday. He ran his feet along the floorboards, lifting up the rug, but found nothing. He moved to the walls next, but only felt solid stone. Finally, all that was left was the massive bookshelf running along the entire back wall. He came to a stop in front of it, groaning as he swept the flashlight along the length and height of the hundreds of books. This would take all day.

Chester watched furtively until her humans were distracted, then pushed herself back up into a sitting position. Her paws slid against the polished floor as she tried desperately to shake off the strange white thing he had insisted would warm her up. _Humph._ She knew better; a warm bed with lots of soft blankets was calling to her. She lifted a paw, shaking it awkwardly, relieved when the white thing finally came off. Encouraged, she went to work on the other one.

Shalimar tilted her head to the left as Brennan's lips nibbled where his hands had been seconds before. He was spoiling her, and she was soaking in every minute of it. He whispered into her ear as his hands resumed their gentle massage. While the bathtub wasn't big enough for both of them, Brennan had managed to drag a stool over and perched behind her, long arms easily reaching her, rubbing the tension away. She lay there for long minutes, growing drowsy under his ministrations, chuckling quietly as his hands slowly began their inevitable wander down her body. She didn't move, save for lifting a leg and nudging the faucet on once more.

Brennan admired the way the water glistened off her shapely leg as she rested it against the faucet. "Hey, Shal."

"Hmm?" She didn't open her eyes.

"What are you doing?"

"Adding more water."

"Why?" His fingers dipped teasingly beneath the water, tempting her with their maddening circles against her skin.

She smiled. "Because the bubbles are starting to disappear."

"Let them." His voice growled lowly in her ear.

She chuckled, arms hugging his as they wrapped around her from behind. "Brennan?" Her foot turned off the water and disappeared beneath the water again.

"Hmm?" He busied himself with her exposed neck.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" She grinned knowingly, growing breathless as he blew softly on the nape of her neck.

He paused, lifting his lips from her skin and quirking an eyebrow at her. "If you have to ask, then I'm doing something wrong."

She chuckled, shoulders shaking against his, catching his hands as they stroked her stomach below the water and turning. She wrapped her wet arms around his neck, soaking the shirt he was wearing, and pressed her lips against his ear. "Actually, I'd say you're doing everything right." She pulled back slightly, meeting his intense gaze. "Thank you."

He smiled tenderly, heat tamping down at the tired lines in her brow. "I love you, Shalimar." He kissed her softly, careful not to deepen it beyond what he could handle.

She sensed his holding back for her sake, overwhelmed by the tenderness he bestowed upon her. "I love you too."

He smiled, hand brushing back damp curls off her temple as he pressed one more kiss on her upturned mouth before carefully turning her around again. "Just rest." His voice whispered in her ear as his hands squeezed her shoulders, picking up a quiet, soothing rhythm.

"Lexa." She eventually murmured softly.

"Hmm?" His hands stopped in question.

"We should check on Lexa."

"Yeah." His hands started circling again after a moment. Neither one of them moved.

The candles flickered lowly, casting shadows.

Jesse shook in disbelieving anger, stumbling on the books piled all around him as he scrambled to look closer at the hidden compartment he had finally found. His fingers turned white as they dug into the spine of the book he clutched, light bobbing as his other hand brought the flashlight closer. _It couldn't be._ The book fell to the floor with a dull thump as his fingers lifted and ran shakily down the glass, recognizing his missing vial. Thick liquid reflected back at him, resting against a yellow manila envelope he recognized as well; the one from the meet. Anger grew until his fist massed, sweeping against stacked books and sending them flying. He had suspicions, he had questions, but he had never truly believed it.

Until now.

The proof was staring him right in the face, enclosed in shiny glass.

The serum.

Stabilization under Dominion control.

And Lexa had stolen it.


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I think I am addicted to all things MX! :) Besides writing, I'm now learning how to make video clips! I made my first two clips, one to go with this story and one in remembrance of Emma, and have uploaded them onto my little site. Garfieldlady has also made a few new clips as well, so check them out if you have a chance! In terms of writing, I'm now working on chapter 15, and am still not sure how long this story will be yet. I think I will be wrapping things up in a few more chapters and once I do, I can start posting more frequently. In the meantime, thank you so much for your amazing feedback! Thank you so much Melodie558, CatJerica, Mfkngst, Jessica, Rain, Mayra, MariShal. I thrive on your reviews, thank you! Fiery Feral, a girl can only dream! :) Hee-hee! I wanted to ask you if it would be alright to include your and your mother's stories in the B/S Community group. I hope you also have a new story coming up for us soon?! :) Quadrantje, Thank you! To answer your question, it is possible to still have hot water during a power outage...that's the beauty of a propane heater! It's actually a great way to pass the time when you're stuck without power! So I'm just assuming Sanctuary uses propane. :) This chapter is a little shorter (but still over 2000 words, so not THAT short), but I liked the ending too much, so I had to leave it. The next chapter will be longer to make up for it! :) Thank you!

All Things—Chapter Nine

He walked out of the office, shoulders sagging, feeling years older. In the back of his mind, he remembered that he needed to check on Lexa, that her sedation would be wearing off soon, but he couldn't quite face her. Not yet. Instead, he turned away from the lab, heading back toward the fried circuit. Even though his world was falling apart, it was still his responsibility to fix it.

Brennan pressed a kiss to the top of Shalimar's head as she dozed lightly. She had been in the water for quite a while now, but showed no inclination of wanting to leave, but he knew he needed to find Jesse and check Lexa. The power was still out; he thought Jesse would have fixed it by now.

"Shal?" He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

"Hmm?" She didn't move.

"Come on, Shal," He urged her to wake up, "I need to go check on things, but I don't want you to fall asleep here, it's not safe."

She yawned hugely, eyes still closed. "Ok, I'll help you." She didn't move.

He chuckled, groaning as his knee popped in protest as he stood up. Picking up the candles, he moved them into the bedroom, placing one on the nightstand and the rest on the dresser. He then opened a drawer and selected one of his t-shirts that she loved to sleep in. He guessed it was only early afternoon, but Shalimar hadn't slept much the night before after her nightmare, so he was relieved she could sleep now. Padding back into the bathroom, he selected a large, fluffy towel and knelt down by the side of the tub.

"Shalimar." He roused her again, pulling her to her feet and wrapping the towel around her. She squinted one eye open, shivering in the cold air as water dripped down her legs.

"It's cold." She mumbled petulantly, eyes sliding back shut, and Brennan shook his head, knowing she was only half awake. She had been sleeping more deeply than he realized, and he knew better than to try to wake her up. The last time, she had made it clear what would happen to him if he did. He grinned again, bending his knees and smoothly picking her up in his arms. She immediately turned into his chest, content. Water ran off her bare feet, leaving a trail of water as they left the bathroom and walked back into the bedroom. He set her down on the edge of the bed, groaning as she immediately curled into a tight ball.

"Shal," He laughingly shook his head, tugging on her hand again. "Work with me here." He sat down next to her, pulling her back into a sitting position and propping her against his side.

She murmured incoherently as she slumped against him, head falling forward then jerking back up as she caught herself in half-sleep.

"Arms up," He gently commanded, helping her push them into the air and sliding the large t-shirt down her arms and over her head. She squirmed slightly and the shirt fell into place as she dropped the towel. He threw her underwear at her as he bent over to pick up the towel, crossing back into the bathroom to hang it up. When he returned, she was already under the covers. The bed dipped as he sat down on the edge, jumping quickly as a yelp sounded from under the covers. He threw back the blankets to find Chester looking back at him indignantly.

"Sorry, girl." He rubbed the top of her head until her head leaned into his palm. She licked his hand, then backed up against Shalimar, curling into a ball, looking at him expectantly. He raised his eyebrows as he settled the blankets back over them both. _He was so whipped._ But who could blame him, he decided as he watched both of his girls sleeping. He glanced up in surprise as sudden bright light flooded the room, the humming of appliances kicking back in sounding loud after the silence. Shalimar's brow furrowed at the brightness, and he quickly crossed the room, flicking off the lights and sending the room back into comfortable darkness. The sheets rustled as Shalimar turned over, curling around Chester's warm body like she normally did with him. He brushed hair off her temple, bending over to press a kiss against her slack lips before backing out of the room and quietly closing the door.

He couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. Jesse closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and steeling his emotions before walking into the lab. He still had no idea what he would say to her or what to even think. At first he thought someone had planted that microchip on the circuit board, but the computers had shown no signs of intrusion. That left only one disturbing conclusion; Lexa had planted it there. He turned into the doorway, eyes flying open as he heard her gagging desperately, gasping in horror.

"Lexa!" He ran to her side, hands shaking as he rolled her.

She was awake, eyes glazed and feverish as she retched helplessly over and over. She had been choking on it. He groaned at the guilt that slammed into him; he had left her alone too long.

"Come on, Lexa!" He gritted his teeth, voice harsh as he cleared her mouth. "Brennan!" He hollered into his ring. "I need some help here!" He held her down as she suddenly thrashed wildly, screaming in blind rage.

"Oh man," Brennan stopped dead in his tracks as he came running into the lab.

"Help me!"

Jesse's scream brought Brennan back to his senses, and he scrambled to her other side, bodily holding her down as Jesse grabbed a hypo-spray. He pressed the sedative to her neck, knees sagging in relief as she stilled abruptly.

Brennan backed up, staring at his hands with a grimace as Jesse yanked towels out of a cupboard and began to clean her up.

"You were supposed to be watching her," Jesse didn't look up as he threw the soiled towels on the floor and brushed a finger down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Jess." Brennan stammered, assaulted by his own guilt as he washed his hands and wet a clean towel, tossing it over to Jesse.

The younger man glared as he caught the towel deftly with one hand. "Not good enough." He bent over her again, wiping down her face gently. Brennan bit his lip, watching for a moment before crossing back over, standing on the other side of the med bed.

"She's burning up." Jesse whispered, fear in his voice.

"It's the serum." Brennan sighed heavily.

Jesse glanced up sharply at him.

"I recognize it." He gestured at the pale, sweaty woman. "This is how Shalimar was…on the island." He swallowed, throat tight at the memory. He knew the fear Jesse was feeling all too well. "She needs continual doses, or she gets sick." He sank down into a nearby stool as another thought hit him. "Jesse."

Jesse's hands stilled at Brennan's tone, waiting. "What?" He finally demanded as Brennan stared at Lexa.

"We don't know how long she's been infected, but we know she hasn't been sick like this until now."

"She was sick a few weeks ago." Jesse looked up in remembrance. "You don't think—"

"Someone's been feeding her more serum." Brennan raised his eyebrows. "Or she's been injecting herself."

"No." Jesse shook his head decisively. "She wouldn't do that, she knows what it does."

"Jess," Brennan sighed and paused, gauging his next words. "Remember what Jimmy told us? Eventually, if taken long enough…"

"It causes permanent dementia." Jesse's fingers clutched the side of the bed, bracing himself as he knees threatened to buckle beneath him.

She was walking, just walking, on a never ending dirt road, dust billowing up at every step. It was dark, and she didn't know where she was, so she kept walking. Shadows cast long fingers that flickered and waved across the road, stretching hungrily toward her. She shrank away from them, but still, she kept walking. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she whirled around, heart pounded at the sound. But there was nothing. Chuckling nervously, she shook her head, turning and continuing walking. It started in small waves, building slowly and slowly, each wave washing over her with growing intensity until she recognized it; fear. It choked her, and she pressed her fingers to her throat, eyes bulging as she whirled around again. But still, there was nothing. Legs trembled, but she had nowhere to go; she kept walking. A whispering wind swirled around her, surrounding, confusing her. She froze, voices murmuring from all sides as footsteps sounded again. Her head began to pound, each painful throb counting down the steps as they got closer, louder. She screamed, whirling first one way then the other, looking, searching. But still there was nothing. The voices grew louder, mocking her now until she could hear nothing but a furious roar, and she clapped her hands over her ear, sinking to knees, falling. A shadow crept closer until it bent over her, greedy claw-like fingers closing in around her. She whimpered, but no one answered. There was nothing. And the claws dug in.

_"Brennan!"_ Shalimar shot straight up in bed, heart lurching painfully in her chest as she gasped frantically for air, eyes darting around wildly.

But he wasn't there.

Jesse closed his eyes as the results of the scan confirmed Brennan's words. Lexa was infected with the serum. He didn't know how or why; now it seemed he only had more questions instead of answers. He groaned, laying his head down on his arms for a moment, glad Brennan had left to do another security sweep. Lexa started moaning again, and he jumped to his feet, forcing tired limbs to cooperate as he prepared a new injection for her. They had a little of the counter-serum left over, but he didn't know if it would work or not. _What if it was too late?_ He paused by her side, brushing damp hair off her face, startled at how feverish she was. He gritted his teeth, and pushed the needle.

Brennan had warned him the transformation was quick, but he was shocked, jumping slightly when her eyes flew open, huge in her pale face.

"Lexa?" He bent down closer to her, "How do you feel?"

For one agonizing minute, she didn't move, and then slowly, her lids dropped, and she blinked, tongue darting out to lick dry lips as her head turned towards his.

"Lexa?" He tried again.

She blinked again, looking at him. He sucked in a painful breath, dread numbing his body.

Her gray-blue eyes were wide open, pupils dilated as she stared at him, no recognition in their depths.

Shalimar tried to scream again, but no sound would come. Her tongue felt thick, clumsy, and she gasped, pressing her back against the headboard as she noticed the flickering flames around her. Something moved beside her, and she lashed out, not even noticing when Chester went flying through the air with a yelp and landed heavily on the other side of the room. _Flickering flames._ _Greedy fingers._She shoved her knuckles into her mouth, cowering as shadows dancing all around, rhythmic, dangerous. _Why? Why was this happening again? It was supposed to be over._ A vein in her temple stood out, throbbing, aching. From out of the shadows, a figure emerged, and her heart dropped with fear as the monster came back. _Trapped._ She pressed further back, hitting the wall. _Nightmare.__ Fear. Walls._ She jerked forward, head whirling as her darting eyes caught a flicker of a flame right next to her bed on the left and the shadowy monster on her right, the white wall behind her. _No, no, no. Not again._ She threw her heads over her head, body jerking, feet kicking spastically, knocking out the flame before curling into a desperate ball, moaning.

The lighted candle flew off the nightstand and rolled across the floor before coming to rest again her jeans.

And the flames danced larger.


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Thank you all so much for your feedback! Quadantje, Alxi, Blackpanther, Mfkngst, Mayra, Lady Alexandra, Jessica, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your kind words! Rain, very perceptive again! :) Just wait! KT, I always love your reviews, thank you! Got another cliffhanger here that you're going to love even more. :) Fiery Feral--thank you, thank you, thank you! Can't wait to read your story when it's ready! CatJerica, I didn't forget! Your reviews always bring a smile to my face, so thank you for taking the time! Chester is supposed to be...well, an ugly mutt, lol. At least that's how I described her in the second story. She is small, with wiry brown fur and a short, stubby tail, panting pink tongue, and as Brennan said, "has Shal's eyes." I think that about covers it. :) I picture one of those little dogs that are so ugly, they're cute! But anyway, here is the next chapter for you. I hope you enjoy!

All Things—Chapter Ten

Candelight flickered in eerie shadows, small flames of light highlighting the smoldering fire on the floor. She rolled on the bed, knees pulled up to her chest, head buried, lost in fear and remembrance.

_No, no, no. _

She writhed, desperate for the pain to end. Something tugged on her shirt, and she whimpered, curling tighter. Smoke unfurled, creeping and curling around the floor. In the haze of her mind, she smelled it. Reason fought, battling with instinct. Fear paralyzed her, but memories of another time, another fire assaulted her.

_Brennan's hand shoved her hard an instant before something struck a glancing blow on her shoulder, and she went down, the world exploding around with flames and weight, burying her, pinning her. She was burning. She screamed as she realized she couldn't move. The debris was crushing her. Nerves tingled, and she coiled into her mind against the agonizing panic. She was dying. She fought the fear and pain. She wanted to live. Oh, she wanted so badly to live. She strained to try and move._

Memories. Another fire. Her head shot up, eyes finally seeing.

She wanted to live.

She realized Chester had crawled back onto the bed and was tugging on her shirt, refusing to leave her. Her head pounded, and she had trouble focusing. _What was happening?_ She gasped as she suddenly saw tiny flames beginning to flare on the floor. Her jeans were on fire. She leapt from the bed, yanking off a sheet and pounding it on the floor, legs shaking and failing her as smoke wisps curled up, burnt material stinging her sensitive nose. She stared at the ruined sheet, stifling the urge to laugh hysterically. _If it had been left alone for twenty, thirty more seconds…_ She shook her head, gathering Chester close as the little dog whined and pushed up under her arm. She buried her face in the dog's wiry fur, gasping breaths ripping painfully from her chest as overwhelming emotion hit her. _Either she was going crazy or the world was falling apart_. A strangled sob escaped her tightly clenched lips.

She so badly wanted to live.

Jesse's fist tightened, veins bulging in his arm as he stared at Lexa. Her pupils contracted once, twice.

"Lexa?" He raised a hand, hesitating as she turned her face away.

"Jesse."

His shoulders slumped in relief at her dry whisper. _She recognized him._ Hope flared even as her eyes fluttered and closed again. There was so much unknown, but right now none of it mattered. All that mattered was that she was alive. He would deal with the rest of it later.

"How's she doing?" Brennan walked back into the lab, stopping behind Jesse.

Jesse didn't bother looking back, instead pressing a kiss to Lexa's hand. "She'll be ok," He finally answered. "No thanks to you."

Brennan winced; he deserved that. "I'm sorry, Jesse."

"What happened, Brennan? What were you and Shalimar doing this whole time?"

Brennan hesitated, "We… got busy. I thought she'd be alright since she was sedated."

Jesse frowned, nodding tightly, keeping his back to Brennan. "How was the sweep?"

Brennan ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. "Everything looks clean. I don't know what caused the outage, but it doesn't look like sabotage."

Jesse's eyes narrowed as he stared at Lexa's still face. "Yeah…I don't know either."

"You didn't find anything on the circuits or in the computers?"

There was a beat of silence.

"No." Jesse pushed Lexa's matted hair behind her ear.

Brennan worried his lower lip between his teeth. _Jesse wasn't acting himself._ He snorted inwardly at his thoughts. _Who was lately? Hell, Lexa was infected and for a while there, Shalimar_… He groaned, sinking onto a nearby lab bed, jerking back to his feet as an alarm suddenly blared throughout Sanctuary. "Now what?!"

"Fire alarm!" Jesse ran to a computer, punching a few keys just as Shalimar's voice came tiredly over their comlinks.

"It's ok guys. It's just a false alarm."

"Shalimar?" Brennan looked up sharply. "What happened?"

"It's ok, one of the candles, ah, set off the alarm."

Jesse wrinkled his forehead skeptically. "That shouldn't happen." He punched a few more keys, shoulders sinking in relief. "She's right though, no fires anywhere."

"Shal?" Brennan took a few steps toward the doorway. "You ok?"

She laughed, and it sounded odd to Brennan's ears. "Yeah, _ok_."

"Shal?" He took a few more steps.

She paused. "Yeah. What happened to you Brennan? Last thing I remember is falling asleep in the bath while you were rubbing my shoulders."

Jesse whirled around in his chair at her words, glaring at Brennan in anger. "That was the all important thing keeping you busy?" His arms crossed in fury. "Lexa almost choked to death because of your overactive sex drive?"

Brennan froze in the doorway where he had been about to walk out. He swallowed hard, turning to face Jesse. "It wasn't like that Jesse."

"She could have _died_, Brennan."

"Jesse?" Shalimar sounded confused. "Is Lexa ok?"

"Shalimar was exhausted, Jess," Brennan dropped his voice, eyes pleading with him not to drag her into it. "She been getting these headaches and having nightmares."

Jesse's jaw clenched for a moment, eyes reflecting back deep bitterness as he feigned casualness to his voice. "She's fine, Shal."

Brennan nodded his head at the younger man.

"Brennan?" Shalimar's small voice came over the comlink again. "Do you—do you think you could read that book to me now?"

"Uh," Brennan hesitated as Jesse gestured angrily at him, pointing firmly at Lexa. "I'm busy with Lexa right now, Shal. Maybe later."

_Lexa?_ Conflicted, Shalimar cut the connection, curling into a tighter ball as she clutched Chester to her chest, needing something to ground her to reality. She didn't want to be alone, but she couldn't bear to move just yet. The chill from the cold slate floor seeped through her thin t-shirt, but still she stayed. She was afraid what might happen if she opened her eyes again.

Brennan winced as Jesse paced back and forth in front of him. "I screwed up, man. I'm sorry."

Lexa moaned, and Jesse's fists clenched tighter at the pitiful sound. "I need to consult with Dr. Marcus, make sure I've done everything right." He laughed bitterly, hand raking through his hair. "I'm not a doctor, damn it."

Brennan approached him carefully, hands outspread. "Whatever you need me to do, I'm there."

"What I need, Brennan, is for you to stay here until I'm back."

"Ok, you got it." Brennan made to clap his shoulder, but Jesse jerked back.

"This," he gestured between the two of them, "Isn't over. But right now I've got more important things to deal with." He turned back to his computer, reading Lexa's vitals. "She should sleep for a while yet, but could wake up before I get back." He walked to the door, pausing without turning around, shoulders rigid. "Can I trust you this time, Brennan?"

Brennan's face twisted at the emotion in Jesse's voice. "I won't let you down."

"Good." Jesse disappeared.

She didn't know how much time passed, but she knew she was cold, so cold. Her body shivered violently, goosebumps standing out starkly on her bare legs as she pressed them into her chest. She could see the flickering of the remaining candles through her closed eyelids, and they haunted her. _Reaching fingers in the dark_. She dug her fingers into Chester's fur, startled when the dog whimpered softly. Stricken, she forced her fingers to relax their grip, relieved when the dog made no move to leave her. She struggled to remember where Brennan had gone. _With Lexa_. He had left her alone. _No!_ She shook her head. She had fallen asleep. She had left him, he hadn't left her. She shivered again, teeth chattering. She was so cold.

Brennan looked up nervously as Lexa's head starting turning in agitation. He jumped up, rushing to her side.

"Hey, hey," He soothingly whispered, hands pressing her shoulders as she thrashed more. "You're ok, you're ok."

Her eyes shot open, unseeing, and she screamed.

"Lexa!" Brennan's hands moved to grip her arms, holding her down as she twisted back and forth. "Lexa, calm down!"

Her dry lips peeled back, revealing clenched teeth, body jerking.

"Shalimar!" Brennan called desperately for help, startled when Lexa released a strange, cackling laugh.

In the midst of the rushing noise filling her ears, Shalimar heard Brennan say her name, followed by an echoing, mocking laugh. _Lexa_ She moaned, releasing Chester and staggering to her feet. Shaking legs carried her to the door and she yanked it open, gasping, hands flying up to cover her eyes at the glaring, bright light. The lights were on after all. _Brennan had left her in the dark_. Lexa's laugh sounded again. She stumbled toward the lab.

"Lexa," Brennan tried again, struggling to catch his breath as she fought back with more strength. He cursed Jesse for removing her restraints. "Lexa, please." She flailed out an arm, hitting him in the head. "Come on, Lexa." He pleaded again, climbing onto the bed, bodily pinning her kicking legs as he held her arms down above her head. "Please."

She groaned, back arching, teeth gnashing for one terrible moment, and then suddenly she fell still.

"Lexa?" Brennan was afraid to release his grip on her.

She turned her head at the sound of his voice. "Jesse?"

"He's not here." He grunted, chest heaving at the exertion of holding her. "It's ok."

"Jesse."

She reared up blindly, face inches from his, weak hand framing his face. He stilled, seeing her intention, quickly turning his head so her lips pressed on the corner of his mouth instead.

For a moment, he was too startled to react, then he jerked his head back as a howling scream filled his ears. He stared at Lexa in shock, realizing after a moment the scream hadn't come from her. His head whipped around as another mewing scream sounded from the doorway.

"Shalimar!"

He blinked, reading the emotions as fast as they flashed across her face. _Disbelief.__ Shock. Betrayal. Anger._ He suddenly became aware of what his position must like from where she stood from behind, and sprang back, holding Lexa's head so it wouldn't fall back too hard. He carefully laid her down, relieved she didn't fight him and stepped back, activating the restraints.

"Shalimar--" He turned back to her, voice trailing off as he truly saw her for the first time.

She was leaning against the doorframe on trembling legs, barefoot, his oversized t-shirt hanging down to her knees and falling off one shoulder. Her hair stuck up in a tangled mass around her face, and one fist was pressed to her mouth, teeth biting down hard on a knuckle, drawing blood. _But her eyes._ He flinched. Her eyes were wide, crazed. Wild.

"Shal—" He took a step toward her, hand outstretched. _She looked like a wounded animal_. She snarled as he approached, and he froze. _She sounded like one_. "Shalimar?"

She pounced, flying through the air for one glorious moment, then crashed into him, knocking him down. His head crashed into the floor, bounced, then crashed again. He groaned, tasting blood and realized he had bitten his tongue. Dazed, he blinked his bleary eyes, struggling to focus as shooting pain ran down his neck. "Shal?" His voice came out as a strangled gurgle.

Her face hovered inches above his. "You and Lexa?"

"No!"

"You're lying. I saw everything, I heard everything!" She pulled back, one hand pressing against her temple as if in pain. "I heard my name, I heard her laugh, I heard you _begging_ her, telling her Jesse was gone."

"No! Lexa—"

"How could you do this? To both of us? To Jesse?" She bared her teeth. _"I trusted you."_

His throat worked, but no sound came out. Pain closed in, blurring the lines of consciousness.

_"I trusted you."_ Shalimar's voice dropped, and she abruptly released her hold on him, hands flying to grasp her head. _"No!"_ She crawled back a few feet, striking her head on a table behind her, staring at him. _"No, no, no."_ Her hand rose to her head in a delayed reaction, and came away with drops of blood. Her face drained as her eyes darted around the lab, and she whimpered in pain.

"Shal," He managed a rasping moan. _What was happening to them? _

She jumped to her feet, footsteps pounding away. Faintly, through the haze, he heard the sound of the garage door opening and then slamming shut as she disappeared.

_She's barefoot_, was his last coherent thought before tingling awareness struck, a horrified sob escaping him.

He couldn't move.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: I'm working on the last two chapters now, so I finally know how long this story will be! It will be 17 chapters total, so we're already over halfway done! Thank you so much Alxi, CatJerica (you'll find out eventually, I promise!), Quadrantje, Dusted (welcome back!!), Mayra, Fiery Feral, Jessica, Rain, Lady Alexandra, mfkngst (I laughed so hard, you summarized it up in one perfect sentence, lol!), MariShal, Blackpanther (Chester has become kind of like a member of the team!). Thank you all so much for your comments and support! It helps so much and really keeps me motivated, so thank you! Here's a nice long chapter for you! Hope you like it!

All Things—Chapter Eleven

He didn't know how long he lay there, drifting in and out of pain. _It was so quiet._ Unbidden, tears pooled in his eyes, and he startled at the feel of something rough against his face, realizing after a moment that it was Chester's tongue. She was licking his tears.

They fell all the harder.

_How had it come to this? _

He welcomed the blackness.

She ran and ran. It was the only thing pounding in her head. _Run._ Pain was everywhere, in her head, her heart, washing over her in confusing waves. She didn't know what was happening, didn't know anything anymore, all she could do was follow the instinct screaming at her to run, to hide. _Run. Fear._ The hunter was again becoming the hunted. Night shadows stretched around her, driving her further away.

Startled, he straightened up from the tree he had been dozing against, camera almost falling from his cold fingers. This was a new development. He had expected them to come out soon; it was part of their routine to bring the dog out this time of night. But she was alone. And she was wearing…_a t-shirt?_ His brow rose in speculation; this was getting interesting. He brought the camera up to his eye, taking his time to focus, and snapped several shots.

"B-Brennan?"

Consciousness abruptly returned, and Brennan gasped at the pain. His chest was heavy, and he blinked his eyes to see Chester curled up on his chest.

"Brennan?"

Overwhelming relief flooded him at the sound of Lexa's weak voice. "Lexa?"

"Yeah." She sounded dazed, and he could hear the rustling of clothes as she shifted around.

"Lexa, help me." He hated the fact that his voice cracked.

The rustling stopped.

"Lexa?"

"Brennan, I-I can't." His heart dropped at her words. "I'm strapped down."

Sanctuary was quiet. _Too quiet_. Jesse was hit with a feeling of dread, glancing back at Dr. Marcus before picking up his pace.

"Brennan? Lexa?"

There was no answer. He broke out into a run.

It would have been comical, Brennan thought, if he wasn't in so much pain. From his position on the floor, he could hear the pounding of feet before they arrived, then four legs as they swarmed into view, almost slamming into each other as they halted in shock. His eyes dropped shut with relief. Jesse was here, and he wasn't alone.

She had a faint awareness of the tender skin on the bottom of her feet growing numb, and then ripping as delicate tissue froze. She could feel the blood that was shed with every step, but she couldn't stop. One thought repeated over and over in her mind—escape. Instinct had taken over. She wasn't safe, her family had betrayed her. _Not again_. She couldn't bear to go through that kind of pain again. Was this what her nightmares had been about all along? _She had to escape._ She kept on running.

"Jesse." Brennan's face twisted.

"Brennan?" Jesse dropped beside the outstretched man, hands shaking. "What happened?" He glanced quickly over, seeing Dr. Marcus was checking on Lexa.

"Shal--Lexa" Brennan paused, gasping, mouth working as he struggled to form words. "I didn't leave her this time, Jess."

It took Jesse a moment to realize he was speaking about Lexa. He tried to smile, but it came out more of a grimace. "I owe you one, buddy." He placed his hand on Brennan's chest as he started wheezing, eyes widening in distress.

Brennan faintly heard Jesse yelling for help as blackness again overtook him. Awareness next came back slowly in a string of oddities. He felt hands moving him and frantic voices on either side. He felt cold, then hot in intermittent flashes, light shined in his eyes and then a strange sensation of being stretched. He faintly saw one of Adam's giant lasers hovering over him, and then he was suddenly being moved again. He moaned and a rumbling voice echoed from his left and then a round, bald face wrinkled with concern leaned over him. Words buzzed, but made no sense, and then it became nothing but black.

The next time he woke up, he felt different. He was laying on something soft, and the pain was blissfully dulled. Memory hit him, and he tensed, afraid to move. _Oh God._ He swallowed in sudden fear. Footsteps came near, and he forced his feelings inside, not wanting them to show.

"Hey."

Jesse's voice sounded above his head, and he squinted an eye open, slamming it shut again as pain exploded at the bright light piercing his skull. He frowned as Jesse chuckled slightly. "Not funny."

"Sorry, man." Jesse cupped his shoulder. "You look like I feel."

"Bad, huh?"

"Yeah." Jesse sobered, taking a seat next to the bed.

Fear shot through Brennan at the change in Jesse's tone. "Jess?"

"Yeah?" He looked back up as Brennan's eyes peered open again.

"Tell me."

Jesse sighed. "You had a mild contusion."

"Meaning?" Brennan's voice was hard.

"Meaning your fall caused slight swelling in the soft tissue area of the cervical region here." His fingers ran along the back of his neck.

"Meaning _what_, Jess?"

"It's ok, Brennan. It was very minor, and Dr. Marcus treated you with a laser scan and was able to heal the bruising and reduce the swelling." He smiled slightly as Brennan's brows furrowed together. "Fortunately, only the tissue was bruised from your fall, but it swelled enough to temporarily restrict movement. With the swelling down, there's no permanent damage. It's sort of like--like a strained muscle. You're going to be fine."

Relief turned Brennan limp, until another thought suddenly hit him and he struggled to sit up. "Shal--"

"Whoa!" Jesse pressed against his shoulders, "You need to rest and be careful for a while Brennan, the area is still tender and will get aggravated if you overdo it."

Brennan lifted a shaky hand, clamping onto Jesse's arm. "Where's Shalimar?"

"Shal?" Jesse's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "With everything going on, I haven't seen her. I assumed she was still asleep?"

"No," Brennan again tried to move, groaning in frustration when Jesse again stopped him. "You don't understand, Jess. Something's wrong with her. She—she went all feral. She's run off somewhere. I have to find her."

"What?" Jesse crossed to the computer, looking up after a moment. "She's right here, in her room."

Brennan shook his head. "That's her comlink. Check for heat signature."

Jesse was quiet a moment more, than swore under her breath. "She left her ring behind?"

"Looks like it. And if her comlink is still activated, there must be blood on it. " Brennan pushed himself into a sitting position, gripping the bed as the world tilted dizzily before his eyes, pain hovering at the edge of his vision. "I think maybe she's mutating again or something, I don't know. She's not herself right now, Jesse." He hissed in a breath as he stood to his feet. "She's wild, irrational. It's like she goes crazy whenever her emotions overwhelm her. I have to find her."

"No," Jesse hurried back towards him, "You need to rest. I'll go look for her."

"No," Brennan stared at his hands. "She--she's confused. Something happened and she went running outside in just a t-shirt." He looked up, eyes imploring. "Jess, she's barefoot."

Jesse's stomach dropped. It was freezing outside. _What if she really was mutating again? Had the serum somehow damaged her system?_ _Or was this about to happen to all of them?_

"How long has it been?"

"What?" Jesse looked up, lost in his thoughts.

"How long since you found me?"

Jesse glanced at his watch. "Ah, a few hours?"

Brennan stood up, gritting his teeth at the pain, cursing the weakness in his body.

"Brennan wait!" Jesse ran to catch him as he staggered toward the door. "I'll go."

Brennan yanked his arm out of Jesse's grip. "I'm going." His eyes glinted in stubborn hardness.

Jesse debated inwardly for a moment more, throwing his hands into the air as Brennan's eyes dared him to even try to stop him. "At least let me help you."

"How?" Brennan stared suspiciously as Jesse prepared an injection.

"It's only temporary, but this will help stimulate the muscle, it'll be easier for you."

Brennan tensed as he approached, eyeing the needle.

"Trust me, Brennan, you're gonna be in a hell of a lot of pain in a few hours, you'll need this."

Brennna nodded curtly after a moment, wincing as the needle went in. "Thanks, Jess."

"Are you sure--"

"I'm going."

"Alright." Jesse crossed back into the lab, and for the first time Brennan noticed that Lexa was still there.

"How's she doing?" He gestured to the still woman with his chin.

"She'll be ok, she's sleeping right now." Jesse scrubbed his face with his hands, sighing heavily. "What's going on around here, Brennan?"

"As soon as I get Shal back here, we'll figure it out."

Their eyes met briefly, and then Brennan turned to leave, forcing his shaking legs to carry him out the door.

He startled upright again as another figure slammed the garage door and came running out…_er__ staggering out,_ he corrected himself, brows raised. This night was turning out to be interesting indeed. He rubbed his hands together, trying to restore circulation; it was going to be another cold night. He lifted his collar higher around his ears to ward off the bitter wind before raising his camera to his mouth, blowing on the lens to warm it up and then framed his shot. After three weeks, things were finally beginning to happen. He grinned.

Brennan sucked in a relieved breath when he found Shalimar's footsteps, plainly visible in the deep snow. He imagined her bare feet sinking in the snow, the depth reaching well above her ankles, and he knew fear. She couldn't survive for very long in weather like this. He had to find her, fast, for more than one reason. He was not naïve enough to believe Jesse would really let him go after her alone; that he wouldn't follow him or try looking for her himself. He couldn't explain it, but besides needing to get her out of the cold, he just knew somehow that he had to be the one to find her. Somehow it mattered that it be him and not anyone else. He increased his pace.

Jesse waited until Brennan had hobbled from view, then hurried back to the lab. With Dr. Marcus gone, he didn't want to leave Lexa alone, but he could see no other way around it. She was too weak from the serum yet to traipse outside in the snow with him, but he couldn't leave Shalimar out there alone, and Brennan was in no condition himself to be going out there. He groaned, pausing beside Lexa, smoothing her hair down as he subtly checked her vitals. She smiled weakly when she felt his presence.

"You checking me out?"

His grin widened at her raspy whisper. "Hell, yeah."

She chuckled, moaning at the pain caused by the movement. Her eyes slowly opened, blinking to adjust to the light. "How's Brennan?"

"He'll be ok."

"Shalimar--"

"Yeah, I know." He interrupted her with a gentle touch. "I've got to go look for her, Lex. Will you be alright here by yourself?"

"I'm fine." She huffed, offended he even felt the need to ask.

Jesse shook his head, smile fading as he debated his next question. "Lexa, I ah, know about the serum."

Her eyes rose up, meeting his calmly, waiting.

His fingers tightened in her hair. "We need to talk about this, but it'll have to wait until I get back. I--I just wanted you to know."

She nodded silently, eyes offering calm reassurance. "Hey, Jess?" She called him back as he started to turn.

"Yeah?"

"Help me to my room?"

He grinned at the request, stepping back to her. "Gladly."

Blowing wind hurled thick snowflakes at Brennan, clinging to his eyelashes until icicles formed, cold and heavy. Snow crunched beneath his staggering steps, the sound loud in the eerie quietness of the snow-covered forest. He couldn't figure out where she was heading, but her footprints led deeper and deeper into the mountain, far beyond any area he had ever gone. Pain lingered beneath the surface of every step, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to stop. Shalimar was out here somewhere. His heart ached with fear at the possibilities. The wind picked up, howling in anger, and Brennan lifted his eyes, cursing the sky as snow fell more heavily, filling in her tracks at an alarming rate. She had been out here for two, maybe three hours already. How long could she survive?

_"Shalimar!"_

The wind threw his words back in his face.

Faint tracks turned and led back up the mountain, and he ran, afraid they would completely disappear.

_"Shalimar, answer me!" _

It was so small, he almost missed it. Not a cave really, more of a rocky outcropping in the heart of the mountain, covered by snow-laden evergreens. The wind halted abruptly, blowing snow falling to the ground, creating a brief window of visibility before it swirled back up into the air again.

His heart stopped.

She stood under the ledge, watching him.

He approached cautiously; hands outspread as if walking up to a wild animal. Her eyes were huge in her face, black holes that pierced him through the white snow. As he neared, he could see the paleness of her face, the blueness of her lips. She wasn't shivering, and he sucked in a painful breath, knowing it meant her body had stopped trying to conserve heat. There was simply no heat left for it to conserve. Speckles of pink dotted the snow, and he realized with a start it was blood. His eyes swiftly looked her over, freezing at the feral look in her eyes.

"Shal?" He appealed to her with his voice, hoping she would hear him within some part of her mind. But her eyes only stared back at him before blinking languishly, showing no recognition. He paused, breaths coming out in foggy gasps as he considered his next move.

She made it for him.

One moment she stood calmly, the next she attacked.

It started out tentatively enough. Thrust and block. Attack and parry. Cold made her movements slow, clumsy, and he was able to ward her off easily, his own movements restrictive, sluggish. As she grew more confident that he was only moving defensively, her blows became harder. He recognized her familiar patterns, and his body shifted, anticipating her moves, blocking the parry before the move was barely started, seeing her unthinking blocks.

They had had years to learn each other, and it saved him now.

She fought harder yet. Attack and block. Advance and retreat.

After a few moments, she paused, raising her head slightly. It took him a second to realize she was sniffing the air, and he held his breath, unsure.

"Shal?"

She lashed out with a kick, striking his neck, the point of injury. With a guttural moan, he fell to his knees, screaming as the jolt jarred through his spine, vibrating his teeth. Cold wetness burned through his jeans, grounding him to reality as shock waves threatened to steal his consciousness. He shook his head, waiting for the next attack, but it never came. From the corner of his eye, he saw her crouched, watching him. Realization surged, and he clung to the knowledge that she had only kicked with enough force to bring him down, but not hard enough to re-injure him. She didn't want to hurt him, she was only protecting herself. _He had to find a way to get through to her. _He groaned and fell forward, snow pushing up through his fingers, and he desperately grasped a handful, throwing it into her face as she snarled above him.  
He staggered to his feet with deep gasping breaths. "Shalimar, _it's me!"_

She abruptly stilled, head turning to the side, and he realized with grasping hope that something within her recognized him.

"It's me, Shal." He again held out his hands.

She started to tremble, deep shivers that started at the core of her being and spread in outward circles. Her lips opened, closed, then opened again. "Brennan?" Her legs collapsed beneath her.

"Shal!" He rushed forward, catching her, heart breaking as the thin t-shirt rose pitifully above her knees, shocked at how cold she was to the touch, amazed she had been able to attack at all.

He struggled to drop the pack he had carried on his shoulders, zipping it open and yanking out a blanket and parka, wrapping the blanket around her tiny frame. One frail hand rose to cup his cheek, and he stilled his frantic movements.

"Brennan...why?" Her eyes stared up at him with deep pain before blinking once, twice, then staying closed.

"Shal?" His voice rose. "Shalimar, stay with me!" He shook her roughly, tears of relief prickling his eyes when her eyes fluttered back open. _She was so cold._ He fumbled for the pack again, cursing his trembling fingers as he tried to pull out a pair of snow pants. He held her to him with one hand, the pants in the other, glancing back and forth. He couldn't bear to set her down in the snow, but needed both hands. His head swung back and forth before swearing at his own stupidity, he peeled off his own parka and spread it on the ground and lowered her down on top of it. Bitter cold immediately tore through him, and he increased his pace, grabbing the pants and shaking out the stiff material before kneeling down beside her. He stifled a cry as he grasped one of her legs, seeing the signs of frost bite on her toes and raw frost burns on her calves. She needed immediate medical attention. Unceremoniously, he stuffed her legs into the pants, drawing them quickly up her body and then rolling her to the side and pushing her arms through into the thick parka, zipping it up to her chin. For a brief moment he hesitated, knowing that body heat was the better method of warming someone up, but then shook his head. He was not about to strip them both down in the middle of a snowbank under a rocky ledge. He needed to get her back to Sanctuary now. He gingerly pulled on a pair of thick, wooly socks over her injured feet and then grabbed her boots, stopping as the harsh realization hit him that her feet were so swollen her boots no longer fit. A shudder ripped through his frame, and he bit his lip, pulling off his own boots and yanking off his two layers of socks. He hissed in a deep breath as one bare foot touched snow and quickly pulled his boots back on, kneeling down again and pulling his socks on Shalimar's feet.

She moaned as he tugged the last one into place, and he glanced back into her face, relieved to see her eyes open, filled with recognition.

She gasped, yanking her foot out of his grasp and scrambling under the ledge until she hit the back wall of the mountain. "Leave me alone."

"Shalimar—"

"Go away, Brennan!"

"No." He crossed his arms.

_"Go away!"_

He saw her clutch her head, and frowned, starting to recognize that gesture. "You're sick, Shal, let me help you."

"No."

He took a tentative step forward. "What you saw back there, it wasn't what you think. I would never betray you like that."

Her eyes flashed at the memory. "I _saw_ you."

"She was convulsing, from the serum. Remember the serum? She really did have it in her bloodstream. I was trying to hold her down."

She glared at him, fingers tightening in her hair as she pressed them into her head. _"No." _

"She suddenly woke up, thought I was Jesse….that's when you walked in." He inched closer. "You're the only one I love, Shalimar. After everything we've been through, don't you know that by now?"

She shook her head, whispering. _"No, no, no." _

She was drifting away from him again. _No!_ He lunged forward, grabbing her arms. _"Damn it, Shal, you have to believe me. I can't do this_—" His hands gestured wildly back to Sanctuary, "—_without you._ _You mean everything to me."_ __

As calm as he had been before, his words now shocked her. The plea was torn directly from his heart, the words raw edged and bleeding. Deep within, the feral knew and understood, caught off guard by his sudden and desperate fear. _What had happened to them?_ She whimpered, sinking to her knees in the snow. "What—what's wrong with me, Brennan?"

He dropped down beside her, clenching her hands. "I don't know Shal, but something more besides Lexa and the serum is going on here."

She raised her eyes, and he could see the confusion and hope swirling within them. "When I saw you…everything in me died, Brennan. I'm so confused right now, I don't know what to think, what to believe."

"I know, Shal, and I'm so sorry." He tenderly tipped her chin, moving slowly when she immediately tensed. "I'm asking you to trust me right now. Trust me to get us both out of here and back home. Once we're there, we can figure the rest of this out."

Her eyes darted past him, and for a horrible moment, he thought she would attack him again. She read his fear, and relaxed slightly.

"Can you do that, Shal, can you trust me?"

Her eyes focused back on him, staring.

Silence stretched between them.

"I don't know."

He blew out his breath, and despair flooded his face. "I can't lose you, Shal."

The raw emotion touched her and unexpected tears burned down her cheeks. She took him by surprise when she wrapped her arms around his waist and tightened her grip. It was not a tender hug, but a stubborn refusal to let him go, a fierce determination that whatever happened, they would not let this thing come between them. He felt it deep within his soul, and his body relaxed, even as his arms tightened around her.

The wind howled and Brennan set his chin on top of her head, staring at the world beyond the tiny ledge. The falling snow had tapered off to a few sporadic flakes, but it was an illusion. A lull between weather fronts.

A bigger storm was coming.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: There is a slight reference to episode 204, Whose Woods These Are, in this chapter. Thank you so much to Mfkngst (pieces will slowly be revealed for you!), Quadrantje, Jessica, CatJerica, Melodie568, Rain (you must be a writer, lol!), Fiery Feral, Mayra, Mxfan214. I wish I could better say how much it means that you're sticking with me through this story, even through the confusing parts. :) This story has been challenging for me, and I have loved working on it. Thank you for all your encouragement! I started writing this chapter at 2am and finished its outline at 6am! Amazing how much you can accomplish if you don't sleep! :)

All Things—Chapter Twelve

He didn't know how long they stayed that way, wrapped in each other's arms under the rocky ledge, but they found themselves drifting off as the sound of the wind howled with distant strength. Under the little ledge, they were decently sheltered, wrapped in a comforting pocket of warmth. She slowly relaxed, lost in the rhythm of his heartbeat. Lulled by the familiar sound of her breathing, Brennan also allowed his body to relax. He knew time was of the essence, that he needed to get her back to Sanctuary, but he lingered, afraid to let go just yet. He tightened his grip, willing time to stop for just a few more minutes, willing the shadows away for just a little while longer. However, exhaustion was fast setting in, pain and stiffness now becoming a familiar feel. The intra-muscle stimulant Jesse had given him was wearing off, and he knew his body couldn't endure much more. He sighed, lifting his chin off her head and tilting his head down to hers.

"Hey, Shal." He gently roused her.

She didn't respond.

"Shalimar?" His voice rose with alarm, relief slamming his heart into his throat when she mumbled something, head sliding forward. "Come on, Shal, open your eyes for me." He shook her a little harder, cursing his carelessness at almost letting her fall asleep. "Time to wake up now." He spoke briskly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms until her eyes fluttered open. Tired confusion surfaced, but they were still clear, and he pulled her back against his chest for one more hug. While her arms didn't circle around him this time, she didn't pull away, and he found comfort in the fact she wasn't fighting him. He bent his knees and in one smooth motion, picked her up. She protested even as her head lolled against his shoulder.

"Yeah, I know," He cheerfully agreed with her mild objections. "You're still mad at me. Tell you what, once I get you safe and warm, you can scream at me all you want."

She mustered the strength to glare at him, but he only chuckled, so relieved to have her with him, in his arms, and consciously aware of her surroundings. An angry, disoriented Shalimar he could handle; the one who had looked at him with blank, empty eyes terrified him. His stomach lurched at the thought, and he quickened his step, ignoring the stabs of pain running down his neck. He had a feeling they would both be stuck in the lab for a while once Jesse got his hands on them. His eyes scanned the thick tree cover stretching above them, frowning in annoyance. There was no place for the helix to land; Adam had chosen Sanctuary's location wisely, it's steep mountainous terrain and mature forests giving natural protection. But it made for a hell of a walk, he muttered darkly to himself, frustrated at the slow pace he was forced to keep. Although Shalimar's weight was slight, it was just enough additional that his every step broke through the encrusted snow, sending his feet deep into the banks and causing snow to spill over the edges of his boots and fall inside, hitting his bare feet. He grimaced, but refused to stop or even to complain as he remembered the condition of Shalimar's feet. Even if she had strength left to walk, he doubted she even could. _Frost bite._ He forced another step.

She was starting to drift off again, so he jostled her, hitching her higher in his arms. "Hey Shal." He spoke loudly in her ear until her eyes again glared up at him.

"What do you think was worse?" He jabbered about the first thing to come to his mind, trying to keep her awake. "Running down that volcano for hours on end in stifling heat and burning ash or walking down this mountain in freezing winds and deep snow?"

"Hmm." Her voice hummed flatly in the back of her throat.

He jostled her again. "I don't know about you, but that heat is starting to sound pretty good right about now, don't you think?"

"Booyg ivr." She mumbled, face squashed against his chest.

"What?" He threw her a quick glance, not quite able to see her face in the darkness.

"Boiling river." She uttered, mouth shifting slightly away from his downy jacket. He could feel her slight shudder even through all the layers.

"Ah yes," He smiled in memory, "How could I forget. Maybe the snow is better after all."

"Humph." She snorted at his words.

He took another step, gasping as in a split second, he realized the deep snow had hidden a steep drop off and there was nothing but air beneath him. One moment he was standing, the next he was falling, sliding downward in a confusing tumble of sky and snow. He heard Shalimar scream and then she was ripped from his arms.  
_"Shalimar!"_

He lost her, choking on heavy snow as it was flung into his mouth, realizing with some distant part of his mind he was rolling.

_"Shalimar!"_

Two more somersaults and then he slid to a stop, a sheet of snow landing on top him, taking his breath away as it compressed his chest.

It took him a moment to realize he was no longer moving.

His neck screamed in pain, and for one horrible moment, he thought he couldn't move again, until he realized he was buried under snow. Panic clawed up his throat, and he couldn't breathe. _He didn't want to die, not like this._ He fought to move, terrified when he could do little more than wiggle his toes and bend his fingers. Spots danced dizzily before his eyes, and he struggled against the urge to open his mouth and take a deep breath; if he did he would surely suffocate. Already, hard snow shoved up his nose, sucking the breath from him. He heard a whimper, and realized it had come from him. It was dark, and so quiet. Deathly quiet. He frantically strained to move again.

_"Brennan!" _

Something within her awoke, and she screamed his name, suddenly terrified he was gone from her. _White walls._ They were trying to take him from her. "No!" The feral arose again, this time in protective fury, and she crawled frantically forward, searching. "No!" She bit back a sob, hands furiously digging. _She could smell him. He was here._ "Wait for me!" She dug faster, ignoring the tender skin that crumbled and broke away at the abuse, freely bleeding. "Brennan, I'm here!" She found a foot, screaming in frustration as she searched again for his head, digging anew. _There! There was his dark hair, matted with ice. _She dug faster, sucking in a breath as she cleared his face, brushing snow from his eyes, from his nose, his lips. _He was so still._ "I'm here," Her voice cracked, and she cradled his head, bending over him.

His body shuddered and groaned, and her head jolted upright at the sound, realizing with a start the rest of his body was still buried. She scrambled around him, hastily digging and tugging, sobbing with relief when he gave a great heave and pulled himself free. _He was alive. He was still here._ She bent over his head again, running her hands over and over his cheeks, wincing as she saw her blood smeared on his face. She growled protectively, pulling her sleeve down over her hand and tenderly wiping his face clean.

"Shal?"

His weak voice broke her, and she started to cry.

He jerked when he felt wetness fall on his face, surprised to taste saltiness when he licked his chapped lips. Tears. He cranked his eyes open, groaning as every part of him throbbed in protest. He paused, taking mental stock before struggling to sit up.

"Careful!" Her hands were instantly on him, stilling him.

He froze, suddenly remembering through the pain what had happened. She had saved him. Regardless of her feelings of betrayal, of anger, some part of her wouldn't let him go, just as he would never let her go. He grinned.

Taken back, she straightened, suddenly unsure.

He saw the flash of fear, of mistrust, and he sobered, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Shal, don't."

"What?" She crawled back a few feet.

"Don't pull away from me."

He held out his hand, and she trembled violently, waging an inner battle. Tears streaked her face, freezing even as they fell. He closed the slight distance between them, hand reaching out to cup her cheek. Her eyes slid shut at the touch, and he waited, knowing the next move must be hers. His labored breath fogged the air, and she concentrated on the sound, leaning into his touch. _This was Brennan. She knew him. She was supposed to trust him forever._ She pushed back the lingering shadows in her mind and lifted her arms, threading them around his waist, pressing her ear against his chest, hearing his heartbeat. It was still racing, surging with adrenaline, and she knew it must pain him, forcing tired lungs to take deep shuddering draws. Fear changed to worry, instinct wanting to protect him, and she shook her head at the irrationality of her emotions. She had gone through the gambit of every possible one in the past few hours, and the logical part of her mind knew something was wrong with her. She grasped that thought, clung to it. _Maybe Brennan was right about everything, maybe, just maybe…_

She lifted her head, hands running down his chest in a soothing gesture until his breathing slowly calmed. "All this time." She finally murmured after a long silence.

"What?" He whispered back, staring at her, afraid to move and ruin the moment. She dropped her eyes, breaking contact. He dipped his head to watch her hands, wincing as it started to pound behind his temple.

Her eyes rose again, watching him carefully, confliction evident on her face. "All this time, my--my fear was of someone using us again, Ashlocke, the Dominion…but I just didn't expect it to come from you." She stared past him, unseeing. "Out of all the possibilities, I never thought you would use me, betray me." She bit her knuckle, pulling her hand abruptly away as she tasted blood.

"I didn't." He spat the words, holding his head, looking up at her through squinted eyes. "I told you the truth about what happened."

She blinked, head tilting to the side, desperately wanting to believe him, fighting the fear that struggled to take hold. "You think I'm sick, that I'm mutating again."

He nodded. "I just want to help you, Shal."

She bit her lip, staring at the ground.

It was silent for long moments, save for their rattling breaths.

"Do you remember Michael?"

Brennan looked back up.

"The feral that was experimented on, trying to be made into a super soldier, but turned wild instead."

He nodded, wondering what she was getting at. "Yeah. We spent days looking for him in the woods. You almost died yourself."

She stared at the dried blood on her hands for a moment, pushing them into the snow, scrubbing them together. "Well, I don't think that's what's happening to me, mutating. The feeling is different; then we knew I was turning more feral." She shrugged, rubbing her hands against her pant legs. "If what you say is true, I don't know if that's necessarily what's happening."

She fell quiet again.

"Shal?" He gently prompted her after a moment.

She sighed, struggling to find the words swirling in her mind. "It's like it almost comes and goes this time, except for a slight haunting…unease that is always with me, hovering on the edge of consciousness, like a fading dream." She looked at him, confused. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Shalimar, I promise you, I am telling you the truth. I love you." He leaned toward her, hands framing her face. "I want to help you. No matter what, we can figure this out."

Her lips twisted wistfully. "I want to believe you. Part of me always has, but another part…" Fear flashed in her eyes.

"Hey, hey, it's ok." He brushed her tangled hair off her temple, biting his lip as muscles screaming in protest. "Please let me help you."

She clenched her jaw, considering, fighting shadowy doubts that assailed her.

"I told you I would keep the monsters away, didn't I?" He smiled as her head bounced up in surprise. "Please let me in."

Her eyes fell shut at his whispered words, heart thudding in her chest. "I want to."

His voice rasped as he muttered her name, closing the distance and pulling her into his arms. She stayed stiff, but didn't pull away, and he considered it a victory.

"I love you, Shalimar."

After a brief hesitation, her arms rose and squeezed him back.

_Found you. _

They held each other for long movements, until coldness seeped through the layers, demanding attention.

"We need to go." Brennan gingerly stood to his feet, groaning at the movement.

Shalimar tried to stand, but immediately fell again.

_Her feet._ Without a word, he bent down, knees cracking, and picked her up again.

She didn't say anything, but her eyes were huge in her pale face as she watched him intensely.

He felt he was somehow under a test. He cleared his throat and began to walk, resuming their conversation as if he had never fallen. "Yep, snow is definitely better than that boiling river." She eventually relaxed, resting her head on his shoulder again. Relieved, he took another step, foot suddenly sinking several feet. "_Argh_ I take that back, the volcano was better." He grunted, struggling to free himself. Finally, with a sucking pop, his foot came free, boot still buried in the snow. At the same time, the wind again picked up and with a whining protest, it began to sleet. He groaned in disbelief. "Oh, of course." He glared first at the sky, then at the offending footwear. "Just my luck, two miserable extremes, yet I still manage to somehow get wet in both of them."

Despite herself, she suppressed a giggle.

"What's so funny?"

Trust Brennan to know when she was smiling in the dark. She shook her head, turning it back into his chest.

He grinned in quick triumph, wincing as he shoved his foot back into the buried boot and finally managed to pull it out. He resumed walking, melting snow squishing between his numb toes, grumbling aloud, but not quite able to wipe away his smile. _She had laughed_. It was the sound of heaven.

Jesse gritted his teeth in worry as he paused, idling the engine of the snowmobile as he stood up for a moment, squinting through the downpour. Six feet of snow wasn't bad enough, now it had to rain on top of it all. In another hour, the ground would be coated in glare ice. _Brennan and Shalimar were out there somewhere_. He slammed back into the seat, revving the engine and taking off again. Brennan's footprints had long since been blown away, and he mentally kicked himself for letting him get too far ahead of him. He flicked the headlight to a stronger setting, worry making his movements jerky. He couldn't understand why Brennan hadn't taken the sled in the first place; he was the one who bought it. Secretly, Jesse loathed the stinky, noisy beast, and he swore, jerking to a sharp right as another tree suddenly loomed in his line of sight. It was hard enough to drive on a clear day, let alone up a mountain, in falling sleet, in pitch darkness. The engine sputtered in the cloying mess, and Jesse slammed his hand against the steering column.

"Come on!"

He stopped again, rising up off the seat, suddenly blinking in shocked surprise.

Directly in front of him, stumbling over a sharp rise, appeared Brennan, Shalimar clutched tightly in his arms. He could see their weariness even from afar, could see it in the steep droop of their shoulders, could hear it in their raspy coughs carried in the winter air. Agony etched on both their faces, and Shalimar had a frightening tinge of blue around her pinched mouth, eyes closed. Brennan's normally strong frame shuddered with every step, and Jesse knew he was in intense pain.

Yet he was grinning like an idiot.

Jesse cocked an eyebrow, deciding the man must be delirious. But he couldn't help but grin back as he frantically waved his arms into the air.

They were found.

Soon they would be warm, they would be safe, and they would have each other. Despite all the fears, all the anger, and the unknowns, they would somehow be alright. That was all that mattered. Whatever happened, whatever came out of this situation, they would be alright.

For in the midst of nothing, they had found everything that mattered.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Sorry for the delayed posting with this chapter, I was out of town for a few days. Sorry about that! Thank you so much Quadrantje, Mayra, Melodie568, Mfkngst (It's not over quite yet!), KT (You're right, you don't always need a cliffhanger for an ending, thanks for seeing that! Although now we're going back to them, lol), Fiery Feral, Rain (Things will be stirred up a bit again for you now!), MariShal (thanks for everything!), CatJerica, Jessica. Thank you all so much! Here's a longer chapter for you, giving some answers and even more questions. I hope you enjoy it!

All Things—Chapter Thirteen

Her eyes stared blankly for an impossibly long moment, before finally, slowly, lids swept down in a tired blink. They were coated with ice, Jesse noticed distractedly, rubbing her cold hands between his own for a moment before pulling her red mittens out of his pocket and tugging them over her numb fingers. The bright splash of color looked out of place against her pale, wan features, and he pressed his lips together, forcing a cheerful tone.

"Up we go." He caught her and pulled her upright as Brennan's body finally gave out and his knees buckled beneath him. He tried to pick her up, frowning when Brennan refused to let go of her. Silently, he placed his hand on Brennan's shoulder, reassuring him with his eyes until his fingers relaxed their tight grip around her waist. "Let's go home, Shal." He quickly scooped her up before she could protest as well, and strolled back to the idling sled. He could feel her gaze boring into the side of his face, and he tipped his head down, blue eyes meeting solemn amber.

"You ok?" He spoke gently.

Frozen lashes dipped down again in a concentrated study as she maintained her intense stare.

"Shal?" He tried again.

She reached out a mittened hand, running it down the side of his face. He quirked an eyebrow as she traced his eyes and then his lips, red fuzz catching on his chapped lips. He made a face, spitting out the bit of lint as he almost inhaled it. She smiled at his expression, and he suddenly realized how much it transformed her features, hinting at the confident strength behind the beauty. He smiled back, and her breath fogged as she exhaled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Jesse."

She sighed his name, and his heart quickened; no wonder Brennan hadn't wanted to let go of her. It wasn't often the feral showed vulnerability, and when she did every protective instinct within him screamed to comply. She could take them both down with one hand tied behind her back if she truly wanted; the trust she placed in them spoke volumes.

He reached the snowmobile and set her down, jogging back over to help Brennan as he labored toward them. "How're you doing?" He braced the man against his shoulder, moving slowly at the heavy weight.

"Been better," Brennan managed to gasp, groaning as Jesse lowered him onto the sled. "We have to hurry, Jesse." Brennan's eyes darted down to indicate the slight form huddled in front of him. Jesse nodded tightly, eyeing the seat; it suddenly looked very small for three people.

Without a word, Shalimar slid back into Brennan, seemingly melting against him so Jesse could squeeze in front. Brennan's arms circled hers to brace against Jesse's shoulders and with a whine of the engine, they spun in a tight loop, heading home.

A sense of familiarity woke her up, a sense of being safe...and warm. She cracked open her eyes, immediately recognizing the soft earth tone colors of her room. She stared at the opposite wall for a moment, sorting through vague memories of being carried into Sanctuary, of Jesse murmuring to her while he worked over her, of being soaked in warm water, of intense pain in her feet and legs as they thawed in the rewarming bath, of being bandaged and cleaned. She slowly blinked, the wall coming back into focus as she carefully tested each limb for pain. A feeling of weakness washed over her, but pain was only a numbness, a dull ache deep down. Cautiously, she pushed up into a sitting position, wincing at the tug of an IV taped to her hand. She immediately shivered as the blankets fell off her shoulders, and she tugged them back up to her chest.

She was alone.

Her brow furrowed.

"Brennan?"

Her door suddenly swung open as she called into her comlink, Jesse bustling through the door. "Hey, you're awake." She couldn't help but notice the way his eyes subtly checked her color or the way his fingers gauged her pulse as he grasped her hand. "How're you feeling?" His hands moved to tug the blankets further over shoulders.

"Ok I think."

"Good." He smoothed her hair back, sitting on the edge of her bed. "You scared me there, Shal."

"Sorry." Her eyes dropped down, stiff fingers picking at imaginary lint on her comforter as silence stretched between them. He waited patiently for her to speak. She took a breath. "What's happening to me, Jess?"

He sighed, "We don't know yet, Shalimar, but we're working on it." He pressed a kiss into her brow. "Let me worry about that, ok? You just concentrate on getting better."

"Jesse," She caught his eye as he pulled back, voice revealing her fear, "Am I mutating?"

"No." He squeezed her hand. "That is one thing I can promise you, you're as stable as any of us can be right now."

She blew out her breath in relief, wincing as her chapped lips protested the movement. "Where's Brennan?" She looked around the room in confusion. He always stayed with her when she was injured.

"Jesse?" Her voice rose sharply when he hesitated.

"He's ok, Shalimar." His hands stilled her when she tried to sit up. "He was hurt before he went after you, and ended up re-injuring himself. He'll be fine, he just needs rest."

She nodded, sliding back down into her bed, wondering why she wasn't in the lab herself.

Jesse smiled slightly, reading her silent question. "I had to bring you here, Shal, it was the only way you would relax. Every time he moaned or moved, you tried to go to him," Jesse shrugged, "It was either tie you down or move you here."

She nodded, hand rising to cup his cheek as she noticed a slight bruise. "What happened?"

Jesse shrugged again, smile widening. "You took…offense when I tried to separate you from Brennan. I had to sedate you to get you here."

"Oh." She looked embarrassed, eyes dropping again. "I'm sorry, I don't remember."

"Hey, it's ok." He pulled her into a gentle hug, rubbing her back. "How many years living with a feral? I should've known better." He laughed at her, shoulders shaking as she groaned in chagrin.

She pulled back, fingers running over his cheek in soothing apology. "I need to see him, Jesse."

"I know." He pulled back, pushing her down against her pillow. "But first you need to rest, Shalimar. You've been through a lot and your body needs time to heal."

"Am I--?"

"You'll be fine. I was worried about your feet for a while, but you again amaze me with your ability to survive and heal."

"Thanks, Jess."

"Anytime." He squeezed her hand, leaving the room.

She smiled, waiting only until the door closed, and then flung back the covers.

Lexa stopped short as she walked into her office, brows raised. Because she had been sick, she hadn't been in her office for a few days. Books were scattered all over the floor, papers from her desk ransacked and drawers left open. Both her hidden compartments were wide open, one revealing her sentimental side with the old snapshot still in it, the other revealing fears she'd rather leave hidden; the serum. "That's how Jesse found out," she muttered under her breath, crossing the disheveled office. One book lay forlornly on its side against the opposite wall, obviously having been thrown in anger. She swallowed as she saw the book's title, realizing it was the one that had been hiding the serum. She knelt, picking it up.

"Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Jesse!" Lexa whirled around in surprise, clutching the heavy book to her chest.

"Sorry about the mess," he continued, arms crossing as he stopped in front of her. "I was a little mad."

"And now?" She raised her chin slightly.

Jesse smiled, recognizing it as a defensive gesture. "I've had time to calm down." He walked up to her, pulling the book from her stiff fingers and tossing it on the floor. Both flinched at the loud sound it made in the looming silence. "When you were sick, I was scared, Lex. I was looking for any possible clue as to what was happening to you." He nodded to the serum. "I found that."

"Yeah," She pressed her lips together.

"Brennan and Shalimar don't know, I didn't tell them." Her head bounced up to meet his gaze as he continued. "But I hope you can trust me enough to tell me why you have it and why you hid it."

She sighed, looking past him at the thick liquid shining in the light. "I don't know if I can explain."

"Try me."

She hesitated, walking past him to finger the vial. "I stole it from that woman's pack that Shalimar brought back from the island."

Jesse's eyebrows shot up, but he stayed silent, watching her.

She didn't turn around. "They were going to just destroy it, and I couldn't let that happen." She turned around, eyes imploring him to understand. "It was a possibility for stabilization, Jesse. _Life._ I couldn't just let it go."

"But we decided the risks--"

"I know." She waved a hand, cutting him off. "But if everyone, including the Dominion, thought it was destroyed, what was the harm?"

His eyes narrowed. "The harm was you getting infected, Shalimar almost getting killed."

"Yeah." She turned back around. "I know it was foolish."

"So why?"

"Because, Jesse."

"Why?" His voice was harsher than he intended.

"Because!" Her voice rose. "Because I failed Leo. I couldn't risk the possibility of failing you too."

"What?" His hands fell on her shoulders, turning her around, startled at the deep anguish in her eyes. "Lexa?" She wouldn't look at him, so he tilted her chin up with his finger. "You thought you were saving me?"

She nodded, eyes tearing. "You, Shalimar, Brennan. I couldn't risk losing someone else. What if one of us started mutating again or became too unstable?"

"Lexa," He sighed her name, folding her into his arms. "It's not your responsibility to save us."

She sniffed, nose pressed into his chest. "Don't tell them."

"What?"

"Don't tell them what I did; I don't want them to know."

"But--"

"I remember stealing it Jesse, and I think I got infected when I cut myself on the cracked vial, but after that, everything is blank."

Jesse pulled back, meeting her eyes. "You don't remember anything?"

She shook her head. "Everything is vague memories. But someone's been giving me more serum and something made me attack Shalimar. I have to find out why. Maybe it has something to do with the way she's acting."

Jesse nodded slowly, pulling her back into his arms. "Alright, for now. We'll keep it between us."

"Thank you." Her hands slid around his back, eyes staring past him at the remaining serum.

Brennan woke up with an odd sense of déjà vu, opening his eyes to see Shalimar sound asleep and curled up on his chest. She opened her eyes as soon as he stirred.

"Hey."

"Hey." She blinked tired eyes at him.

"I think we've been here before."

She smiled, fingers curling into his shirt. "Yeah." She rested her chin against his chest, loving the feel of his heartbeat, the push of his stomach as he chuckled softly beneath her, smiled fading when she saw him wince with pain. "It's all my fault."

"What?" He carefully raised his arms, running his fingers through her hair.

"You, being hurt." Her eyebrows furrowed with shame. "I'm so sorry, Brennan. It seems all I do is hurt you lately. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Shal, stop." His arms lowered to circle around her in a hug. You're here, nothing else matters."

She dropped her head, catching his lips in a soft kiss, laughing as they both winced in pain. She pulled back slightly, tracing his cracked lips with a gentle finger. "Guess we'll have to take it easy for a while."

"Yeah." He sighed, eyes darkening slightly. "I know how I feel, how about you? You seem...better."

"You mean normal?" She asked bluntly.

"I mean better," He framed her cheeks with both hands, thumb stroking a frost burn under her right eye.

"Am I going crazy, Brennan?" Her voice cracked as she leaned into his touch. "Why is this happening?"

"We'll figure this thing out, Shal, you'll be fine."

She laid her head back down against his chest.

They were silent for a moment.

"You found me." Her voice echoed her wonderment.

"You recognized me." He ran his fingers up and down her back, pressing his lips against her ear in a soft whisper. "I will always find you, Shal."

She turned her head, kissing him again, ignoring the pain.

"I should have known."

Jesse's disapproving voice broke them apart.

"How'd you get in here, Shalimar?" Jesse crossed his arms as he came to a stop in front of them. "You're not supposed to be walking."

She shrugged. "I needed to be here, Jesse, don't fight me on this one."

"Fine." Jesse threw his hands into the air, "But you're not walking. When you're ready to move, call for me, ok?"

"Yeah." She smiled gratefully at him.

"And you," Jesse turned his gaze to Brennan next. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I am." Brennan smiled at him as well.

Jesse rolled his eyes at both of his grinning patients. "You guys are impossible."

"How's Lexa?" Brennan felt a flash of guilt as Jesse's smile faltered.

"She's fine." Jesse turned to his computer, checking on Brennan's latest stats.

"Any idea how she got infected?"

"Ah, no, not yet." Jesse typed a few more keystrokes then pushed himself out of the chair, heading back to the door. "She doesn't remember anything."

"Nothing?" Shalimar called after him doubtfully.

"No." Jesse turned back around, pointing his finger at them. "You two be good. Call me if you need anything." He disappeared out the door.

Shalimar frowned thoughtfully.

"What are thinking, Shal?" Brennan tugged her chin back so he could see her face.

She shrugged. "Jesse's hiding something."

"What?" Brennan glanced back at the empty doorway. "Nah, I didn't get that sense."

"But I did." Shalimar raised her eyebrows as Brennan continued to shake his head. "What? You don't believe me?"

"I don't know, Shal, it sounds like they're just as confused as the rest of us."

"Confused maybe, but he knows something, I could tell."

"You think he's lying to us? Why?"

"I don't know. To protect Lexa?"

Brennan sat up slightly, grasping her shoulders. "Lexa? But Shal, she's not responsible for what she did; she was infected with the serum."

"Maybe." Shalimar pulled free of his grasp. "But maybe there's more to it than that. I think they're hiding something."

Brennan shrugged. "The real question is how did she get infected? We destroyed all the remaining serum."

"Or so we thought." Shalimar pursed her lips. "We don't know how many vials were actually in that pack. Or maybe the Dominion had more somewhere, who knows. The issue is, they're hiding something."

"I don't think so, Shal."

She sat up abruptly. "You don't think I can sense it? Her voice rose. You think I'm imaging it all?"

"Calm down, Shalimar." Brennan felt a flutter of nervousness. "I believe you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Now I don't believe you." She crossed her arms. "You're just trying to appease me. I can't believe you are defending her! To me!" She growled in her throat. "She tried to attack me!"

"You tried to attack me." As soon as the words were out, Brennan regretted them.

Shalimar's eyes widened in fury. "Oh, so now the truth comes out! You don't trust me, do you?"

"No, Shal!" Brennan struggled to sit the rest of the way up. "I didn't mean it that way. It's just that Lexa--"

"Lexa!" She spat the name. "I am sick of hearing about her. Why is she all you think about lately?"

"What?" Brennan could feel the situation spiraling out of his control, and he shook his head desperately. "You're the one who brought her up."

"You're the one that kissed her!"

Brennan winced, frustrated. "I did not!"

She leaned back, staring him in the face, eyes suddenly cold. "You're telling me you've never kissed her before?"

Brennan hesitated, debating. "Ok, I've kissed her, but not for real. She thought I was Jesse at the lab, and one time when I was undercover, Cole—"

"Cole?" Her brows winged upward. "_That's_ what he meant by more tail?" She braced her hands on his chest, leaning forward intensely. "Tell me, Brennan. Did you enjoy kissing her? Like you enjoyed kissing Allie? Or that Riley woman? It seems you do an awful lot of kissing while _undercover_, Brennan."

"Allie?" His mind whirled at her confusing rant, trying to keep up. _His old childhood friend?_ "Allie's dead, Shalimar." His voice fell flat. "She died while I was working that case to protect you, or did you forget?"

"How could I?" She seethed in anger. "I watched you kiss her! And Lexa!"

"I didn't_ kiss_ them, Shalimar, you know it wasn't like that. I was working!"

"Yeah." She huffed. "You were working alright." She slid to the floor, unable to bear being next to him any longer.

"Wait!" Brennan swung his own legs over the side of the bed. "Don't walk away from this, Shalimar."

"Too late," She staggered as she swung around to face him, "Just stay away from me, Brennan." With a whirl of blonde hair, she disappeared from sight.

"Damn it!" Brennan banged his fist against the bed in frustrated anger as he tried to follow, but his legs gave out.

Shalimar heard him calling after her, but she didn't care, she was too angry, heart pounding as she raced down the hallway. Her muscles screamed in protest, the tender skin on the bottom of her feet coming awake with painful stabs, but she kept going. _Betrayal._ She shouldn't have trusted him again so easily. She turned a corner, confused when she found herself in another long hallway. _White walls._ They were closing in around her. She screamed, clamping her hands over her head as raw pain split down her temple, flooding her with overwhelming fear and confusion.

_"No, no, no!"_

She didn't know where she was anymore, she just kept running. _Escape. _She ended up outside, feet sliding on the slippery ice coating the encrusted snow. She grunted, elbow digging painfully into ice as she fell, pushing herself back up and running again.

Suddenly she halted, sucking in a deep, rasping breath.

Ahead of her, bare branches twisted in the wind, long bony fingers pelting the gray sky with agony, matching the tempo in her heart. Amidst the grove of maple trees, Lexa stood, meeting a hooded figure. Shalimar whimpered as recognition flooded her senses.

It had been him all along.

It all made sense suddenly.

And she was terrified.

She stifled a scream; fist shoved into her mouth as her dreams came rushing back, the haunting shadows melted away in her mind. The figure sensed her presence, turning chilling gray eyes upon her. Her heart thumped in sudden shock as his mouth tilted slowly upward in a familiar, hungry smile.

"Hello, Shalimar."

The monster had a face.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N:  I am working on the final chapter now, just in time since this story is almost at an end now. Only three chapters left after this one!  I promise, it will all start to make sense very soon, I hope you can hang in there with me for a little while longer!  Thank you so much Mxfan214, Blackpanther (got another cliffhanger for you!), CatJerica (Ah, you're right, that would have been a good place for Chester to be, lol!), Rain, MariShal, Meg, Jessica (I hope I can keep you guessing for just a little bit longer!), Dusted (THANK YOU!), Fiery Feral (I'm sorry, just one more chapter and then they'll make up!), Garfieldlady, KT (I'm curious to know what your suspicions are!), Mayra.  Thank you all so much, your comments are so encouraging!  Here's another chapter to add some more confusion to the story for you! :) 

All Things—Chapter Fourteen

She couldn't move, held paralyzed by the intense gray eyes of the man in front of her. _No._ Her mind struggled to come to terms with the reality before her. "You're dead!"  She shook her head in denial. "You're not here!"

_I've been here all along. _

His voice echoed around her, and he leaned closer, lips inches from her ear, smelling her. She trembled, unable to move. The wind stirred, swirling snow around them with growing strength until they were cut off in blinding whiteness and the world around them ceased. It was just her and those piercing gray eyes that swayed and blurred as the moving wall of snow closed in tighter yet. She couldn't breathe, the breath being sucked out of her as pressure built and those eyes mocked her.

_Brennan._  She struggled to form coherent thought.  "You won't get away with this." Her head turned to follow the eyes as they started to circle around her.

_He won't believe you.  No one will believe you._

"Yes, yes he will!"

_He won't believe what he can't see. _

Pressure bore down upon her, forcing her to her knees. She snarled, fear and anger coursing through her, and suddenly the wind died, snow dropping around her and coating her with fine powder. She gasped, shoulders slumping, eyes falling shut.

_You'll break.  You'll be all alone._

_Never.  _She wrenched her eyes open.  "Brennan would never leave me."

_What makes you think he's still in control?_

She whimpered, mind assaulting her with terror as her eyes burned with pain, unable to look away from his stare as time moved in distinct clarity. She was aware of him suddenly kneeling beside her, just as Brennan and Jesse hollered her name in protest. She gasped, the connection abruptly broken by the sound, and blinked Voices faded, and the figure loomed before her in vivid outline against the gray sky, grinning in horrific satisfaction. She blinked again, and he stood back. A third blink and she jerked, startled as Brennan staggered to her and grasped her arm. _Didn't they see him?_ In the fourth blink, Jesse abruptly picked her up, scolding her about the danger of refreezing her feet, and in the fifth blink, the man before her disappeared, a haunting, mocking laugh lingering behind. He was here, playing with them. He had her, but then he let her go.

And it only took him five seconds.

_Steven. _

"No!"  She started to thrash, twisting, head whipping around and staring over Jesse's shoulder back at the grove of maples. He was gone. Lexa was gone as well.  _Where did they go?_

"Shal,"  Brennan gasped as he struggled to keep up with Jesse's quick strides, Chester tagging along at his feet. "I know you're mad at me right now, but you have to stop fighting us and let us get you inside. It's too dangerous for you to be out here. Your feet."

"Lexa!"  She raked her eyes around the grounds, seeing nothing but windswept snowbanks.

Brennan clenched his jaw, "I told you, I was undercover--"

"No!"  Shalimar interrupted him, "You don't understand!"

"Shalimar," Jesse grunted as he fought to hold her, "Brennan told me about your argument, and he's right, they were just working. I don't like it either, but--"

_"No!"_  Shalimar wrenched herself out of Jesse's arms, whirling and landing on her feet in a crouch, blocking them from the trees in a protective gesture, eyes glowing as they continued searching.

Footprints.

She stiffened.

Footprints were appearing in the snow; slowly, methodically circling around them. She turned, following their path with a low growl.

Brennan and Jesse shared startled glances, finally realizing she was seeing something they were not.  Beside Brennan, Chester growled lowly, ears perked. 

"Shal?"  Brennan stepped up behind her, knee brushing reassuringly against her back. "What is it?"

"Wait!"  Her arm swung out, blocking his knees as he tried to step out next to her. He stopped, holding his breath, eyes darting around the forest.

There was nothing.

"Shalimar?"  Jesse tried again after a few moments.

Her breathing was loud in the silence.

"Go back inside."  She finally gritted softly, head turning swiftly as there was a loud crack to their left.

They all froze.

The wind roared, kicking up powdery snow as ice covered branches screeched eerily against each other.

"It's nothing."  Shalimar blew out her breath after a second, "Just a branch snapping from the cold."

"What's going on, Shal?"  Brennan placed a hand on her shoulder.

The footprints stopped.

And then they started to disappear. One print at a time, in frightening reverse. Her heart slammed, blood rushing her ears.

He was playing with her.

They couldn't see him.

But she could.

Her head was throbbing. "We need to get back inside, _now_."

They nodded, eyeing her as they turned and walked back to Sanctuary.  Relief flooded her as she entered; they were safe inside, they had to be. She stared back outside, clutching the door as snow billowed at her feet.  The footsteps were completely gone.  She shivered and slammed the door, leaning her forehead against it.  As soon as the door slid shut, Brennan and Jesse swung around to face her, arms crossed.

"You need to tell us what's wrong, Shalimar."  Jesse's brows furrowed together.

"After you get off your feet," Brennan demanded, "No arguments this time. That was foolish, Shal."

She sighed, pushing herself off the door and turning to face him, eyes narrowed as frustration boiled over. "Don't lecture me, Brennan. You're the one who can barely stand up at the moment."

He huffed, glaring back at her.

Jesse rolled his eyes. "_Both _of you are supposed to be resting or _neither _of you will heal."

"Jesse, you don't understand." Shalimar clutched his arm with white fingers, "We need to find Lexa, make sure Sanctuary's secure."

"Alright," Jesse determinedly picked her up again, "But first you're going back to the lab."

Brennan pressed his lips together. He was frustrated and angry; over her stubbornness, over their fight, over the fact that his body was too weak to carry her himself. He cursed under his breath, trailing after them, swearing again as he almost tripped over Chester as she hovered at his feet.  _When the hell would things get back to normal?_ Nervousness fluttered in his stomach as he caught a glimpse of Shalimar's face peering back at him over Jesse's shoulder. She was terrified, and not just at the current situation, but at something new. Their eyes met, and he suddenly understood; he recognized that look. He had seen it only one other time.

_No.  _He stumbled. _Steven? _

_Yes._

_No._

His knees gave out, and he braced himself on the wall for a moment, staring after Shalimar as Jesse didn't notice and kept walking. Their unspoken conversations didn't take him by surprise anymore, somewhere along the way, it had become natural, a connection forged through pain and determination. _Steven_. He shook his head in disbelief, it was impossible, Steven was dead. He sucked in a breath; maybe Shalimar was just confused again. Maybe it was somehow tied to whatever was wrong with her. She believed he was real, but maybe he wasn't.

Or maybe he was.

Brennan groaned, hands scrubbing across his face as he entered the lab. Jesse was already starting another scan on Shalimar as she lay tense on the bed. Brennan leaned in the doorway, watching as the tinted blue light flooded across her body in a smooth sweep. She impatiently sat up as soon as it finished, beckoning Brennan over.

His earlier frustration melted away at the vulnerable look on her face, and he stepped between her legs, pulling her into a hug. Her back was stiff, but her arms circled his neck, hands digging into his shoulder blades.

His heart constricted; she was shaking, violent tremors that tore from deep within.

He tightened his hold, pressing his lips into her hair. "I'm sorry."

She hiccupped, and he realized she was fighting to control her emotions. His hands moved reassuredly up her sides and across her shoulders to frame her face.

"Hey, it's ok, I'm here."

Her eyes warmed at his whisper, and she leaned into him as his hands circled around to the back of her head, grasping fistfuls of hair as he held her.

"What's going on Shal?" Jesse spoke from across the room, interrupting them.

She pulled back from Brennan's hug, resting a hand on his face as she searched his gaze deeply, silently, for a long moment.

_Are you_ _really here?_

Brennan's brows furrowed in confusion. _Yeah,_ _I'm here._

She bit her lip, nodding quickly, before dropping her hand and turning to Jesse. Brennan sidestepped out from her legs and sat down next to her, his own shaky legs unable to support his weight any longer, taking comfort as Shalimar leaned into him, fingers sliding between his own as she claimed his hand.  Chester whined, pawing at Brennan's leg for a moment before laying down, resting her head on his foot with a whine.  He absently rubbed her ear with his other foot. 

"Shal?" Jesse prompted again.

"I saw Steven outside, Jesse."

His fingers stilled their movements on the keyboard as he froze in shock. "What?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it makes sense now."

"Wait." Jesse pinched the bridge of his nose. "Steven is dead, Shal. The Dominion took care of him."

"So they said." She clutched tighter to Brennan's hand. "When was the last time they ever told us the truth about anything? We know better than to blindly trust them."

"True," Jesse worried his lower lip, "But I think Lexa would have known, her contact would have told her."

"No." Shalimar cut him off at the mention of Lexa, but didn't elaborate, "He's alive, and he's _here_. If he gets inside--" Her voice trailed away.

"Hey, it's ok." Brennan pressed a reassuring kiss on her palm. "We just have to stick together, we beat him once, and we can beat him again."

"Still," Jesse frowned, "I'd feel better knowing he's stuck outside." He finished the scan, jumping to his feet. "I'm going to find Lexa, do another sweep. You two stay here."

"Jesse, wait." Brennan called after him. "What about Shal's scan?"

"Still nothing," Jesse turned in the doorway. "I can't find anything wrong with you, Shalimar, other than your blood pressure still being a little high. Any more headaches or nightmares?"

She hesitated.

"Yes." Brennan answered for her.

"Ok, yes," She released Brennan's hand, frowning at him. "But it makes sense now; I think they're somehow being caused by Steven."

"Steven?"  Brennan paled, turning toward her.

"I was connected to him for a while, remember?"  She rubbed the scars on her hand absently.  "I think I subconsciously sensed him, sensed the danger. It was him in my dreams all along."

Jesse nodded, turning back around.  "I need to do that sweep. You guys better rest while you can."

Brennan stared at Shalimar strangely as Jesse disappeared.

"What?"  She eyed him back, unable to read his look.

"You said the same thing about Lexa."

"What?"

"You thought you sensed something was wrong with her, that it was her in your dreams."

"I was wrong." She crossed to the computer, typing briefly.

"What if you're wrong again?"

"What do you mean?"  She looked up sharply.

"About Steven."  He limped over to her, grasping her shoulders.  "Don't get mad, Shal, I'm just asking you to consider the possibilities."

"Such as?"  She turned around to face him.

"Such as maybe Steven isn't really here."

She stared up at him in shock, taking a step back.  _What makes you think he's still in control?  _"He's got to you too."

"What?"  Brennan reached for her, but she held up a hand.

"Brennan, listen to me."  She spoke slowly.  "I know you think I'm the one that's sick, but you need to listen to me very carefully. Steven is here, and Lexa is working with him. He's been here all along, playing with us. I think the Dominion is doing some-some sort of sick project and infected Lexa with the serum, and maybe even Steven as well. I don't know why, but they're trying to control us. Everyone thinks I am the one who's sick, but what if it's you?"

"What?" Brennan leaned heavily against the table, "Shalimar, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying it all makes sense!"  She rubbed her forehead in aggravation.  "Think about it! My supposed symptoms were actually my mind fighting his presence, while you--you and Jesse are actually the ones under Steven's mind control!"

"No."  Brennan shook his head.  "No, Shal. I'm sorry, but that doesn't make sense. You're just confused."

"No," She laughed mirthlessly. "Don't you get it?  It's part of their twisted game, that's why my scans keep coming back clean.  I'm fine, how do you explain that?"

"I can't, yet, but I told you, we'll figure it out." Brennan took another step toward her, but she backed away again. " Shal?"  He stopped and stared at her in confusion.  Chester sat up, anxiously watching them. 

"I'm sorry, Brennan, but Steven is alive. I saw him, with Lexa."  She backed up another step, hitting the wall.  "He's controlling you, you're not yourself. That's why you're not seeing the things I do. That's why you kissed Lexa in the lab. They're playing with us. "

_"What?"_  Brennan raked his hand through his hair. "Shalimar you're--"

"Crazy?"  She raised an eyebrow, watching him closely. "Am I?"

"Yes!"  Brennan whirled around, hitting his fist on the table. "Why does everything have to be such a damn mess?"

She swallowed tightly. "We've been going about this the wrong way. It's not me!"

"It's not me either!"  Brennan whirled back around, forcing eye contact. "Look at me! Tell me you can't tell it's_ me_ talking to you right now!"

"I don't know!"  She stared back at him, anguish creased across face, hand pressed to her forehead. "I want to trust you."

"And I want to trust you."  His voice fell flat as her eyes flared. "But?"

"But you may not know who you are!"

He stormed forward, stopping inches from her. "And I asked you to_ look_ at me!"

Heavy tension permeated the silence as they stood in stand-off, and she could feel his hot breath stirring her hair, gaze landing on his heaving chest and rising to his frustrated eyes.

"Ok, Brennan."  Her soft tone seemed out of place after the loudness.

He shifted, startled by her quiet admission. "Ok, what?"

"I see you." She cupped his face. "I'm sorry."

His shoulders slumped, and he leaned forward, bracing his arms on either side of her, dropping his head onto her shoulder. "You scared me there, Shal."

"Sorry."  Her eyes stared past him as she tightened her fingers in the short hair at the nape of his neck, latching onto the computer screen a few feet away.

"It seems all we do is scare each other lately."  Brennan's voice was muffled as he spoke against her shoulder, eyes closed.

"I know."  She ran a hand soothingly down his back, distractedly feeling his body trembling from exertion. She narrowed her eyes as a tiny dot on the screen moved. _Lexa_. She was still outside. And she was not alone. Another moving dot indicated Jesse was circling Sanctuary, but from the inside. Anger boiled, throbbing.  "Come on, Brennan."  She pushed back on his shoulders, tugging his head up.  "You need to lie down."

"Yeah."  Brennan took her hand, turning toward the doorway.  "So do you, you're not supposed to be on your feet."

She shrugged, forcing her eyes away from the computer and up to his as he glanced down at her. "They don't hurt."

"Good."  Brennan chuckled slightly. "Cause every part of me does."

"Here,"  She pushed him down into a chair, turning and opening a cupboard, pulling out a hypo-spray.  She fiddled with it for a moment before turning back toward him. "For the pain."

"I don't want anything that will make me sleep," Brennan protested as she walked back up to him.

"It's ok, it's not a sedative," She glanced down at him.  "I promise."  She pressed the needle against his neck.

He looked up, meeting her eyes.

_Thank you. _

She didn't respond, but smiled instead.

It didn't reach her eyes.

His hand shot up, grasping her wrist.

Too late.

Warm liquid flooded his veins, and he instantly felt his body shudder, struggling to hold his head up against the rush of darkness as he fell heavily backward. Her face loomed over him as Chester barked in the background. 

_Why? _

She bared her teeth.

_It's not me. _


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Ok, this is it! This chapter finally reveals the plot for you. :) I've really enjoyed all your guesses and insights, I tried to add enough twists so it wouldn't be too obvious, so I hope I was able to accomplish that for you. There are still a few questions left, they will be answered in the next chapter. Thank you so much to those that keep me going. Thank you to Jessica, Meg, Mfkngst (for both chapters, lol! I got your review right after I uploaded the next chapter, sorry about that! Thank you though!), Mayra, Fiery Feral, CatJerica (Very cute idea!), KT (Hmm, wonder if you suspected this chapter or not?! :) Thank you!).This chapter, along with the final two, are long, over 4000 words each, so almost twice the length of my normal chapters! I've been working on the final chapter, and I also just made my third video clip! It's on my little site and is called Breathless. I am having fun learning to make them! :) Sorry if the spacing is off lately, ever since the QuickEdit function was updated, it's been eating spaces and running words together. But back to the story, here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy the outcome. Thank you!

All Things—Chapter Fifteen

He was starting to lose track of the number of times the world had tried to black out on him in the past few days. Brennan groaned, holding his head as he waited out the inevitable nausea that seemed to accompany him lately. The walls danced and spinned as he squinted across the room, trying to remember what happened. He froze as he saw Shalimar's feet backing slowly away from him.

_It's not me._

Cold fear washed down his spine as her chilling words came back to him in a sudden rush. He gasped and rapidly blinked, trying to clear his hazy eyesight. The blunt end of the hypo-spray sprang sharply into focus, and he stared at it, realizing he was lying on the hard floor of the lab, and that Shalimar was again becoming lost to him. Tired eyes slammed shut as he struggled to find the strength from somewhere within his hurting body to rise up one more time. It was for Shalimar. He had no other choice.

Papers fluttered from her numb fingers, hitting the manila envelope they had been pulled from and scattering across the desk. Lexasank into the chair, covering her face with both hands. Her head was starting to throb, raw splitting pain that ran from her temple and down her neck. Memory was coming back in startling bits, confirmed by the news given her by her informant and by the papers inside the envelope. She had been after additional serum, or more precisely, she had been trying to find the agents involved in the original project to recreate it. And Shalimar had been a threat because she had seen too much. There was an order to have her eliminated. Lexa shuddered. The order had come from her, not from the Dominion. To protect her craving for the serum, she had been planning to kill Shalimar. Her pulse began to throb.

The sound of rushing footprints caught her attention, and she shoved the evidence back into the envelope, stuffing it into her jacket as she peered out the door. Shalimar was backing out of lab, staring back into it for a moment before she tore off down the hallway in the opposite direction. She frowned suspiciously. _What was the feral up to now?_ She glanced both ways down the hallway before trailing slowly after the disappearing blonde, pausing to glance into the lab. Her heart stopped. Brennan lay unmoving on the floor. _Shalimar had attacked him again?_ She grasped her temple as it began to pound in earnest. _What was going on around here?_ Footsteps again sounded, this time from the direction of her office, and she pressed her arm against her jacket, feeling the slight bulge of the envelope. Jesse was coming; she recognized his step and his off beat whistle. Eyes darted between the lab and the hall.

"Lexa?" Jesse paused as he saw her backing away from the lab, startled by the crazed look in her eyes. Dread filled him at the now familiar look. He hurried up to her, freezing as he noticed Brennan's still figure on the ground. "Lexa?" His voice rose sharply as his head whipped back toward her again.

She gasped, taking another step back. _He thinks I did it. _She watched as he hurried to Brennan's side, feeling for a pulse, looking back up at her with anger and accusation._ Escape. Betrayal._ She turned and ran.

Jesse jumped in surprise when Brennan's body gave a great shuddering heave and sat up with a wheezing groan. He clenched his jaw as he saw Lexa run away, turning his attention back to Brennan as he stared up at him in confusion.

"Jesse?" Brennan blinked tiredly; sure the other man hadn't been there a moment ago when he opened his eyes the first time.

"Yeah, I'm here." Jesse braced his shoulder against Brennan's, helping him stand and walk over to a med bed.

"I'm getting tired of these beds, Jess," Brennan grumbled as he leaned his elbows against it, refusing to lie down.

"Yeah, I know." Jesse clapped his shoulder in sympathy before walking over to the discarded hypo-spray. "What happened?"

Brennan dropped his head. "Shalimar."

Jesse's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he didn't comment. He crossed back over to the bed. "Looks like she gave you a mild sedative."

Brennan grunted, but didn't lift his head.

"I'm surprised you're even standing right now," Jesse shook his head as he appraised Brennan's condition. "I suppose it would be wasting my breath to tell you to lie down."

"Yeah." Brennan's fingers tightened their hold against the bed.

"Yeah." Jesse sighed in resignation. "There's more, Brennan."

"What could be worse than this, Jesse?" Brennan's eyes were closed as he concentrated on taking deep breaths.

"It's spreading."

Brennan's eyes flew open, staring at Jesse with growing dread. "No."

"Yeah," Jesse's shoulders shrugged, eyes showing pain. "I think Lexa's got it now too."

"Damn it." Brennan's whisper broke the silence between them.

_Yeah._ Jesse huffed. _That about said it all._

There was a great battle warring in her mind. One moment, instinct told Shalimar to run, fearing the hunter shadows that hovered mockingly on the edges of her sight, and the next it told her to turn and fight, to rail against that which threatened to take away what was hers. The desire to protect, to defend was as natural as the animalistic fear that echoed through her bones, demanding she escape. _Survival.__ What would ensure survival?_ The feral snarled, stopping short as she suddenly came face to face with her enemy.

Lexa.

_Steven was nowhere in sight. But Lexa was working with him. _"I know what you're doing." She held her ground, lifting her chin.

Lexa narrowed her eyes at the angry woman in front of her, the envelope burning in her pocket. "What am I doing?" Her voice was deadly calm, falling easily back into her years of training.

"You won't get away with it." Shalimar raised an eyebrow. "I will stop you."

_She knew. _Lexa crossed her arms in mutual defiance. _She was after all of them. _"First Brennan, now me?"

_Brennan! It was bad enough they were trying to control him._ Her heart hammered in her throat, eyes flaring in protective fury. "Leave him out of this!"

"Oh I think you've already ensured that," Lexa gritted, head starting to throb with greater urgency. She suddenly lashed out, fingers falling together as she aimed a bright laser at Shalimar.

Shalimar screamed, diving to the side and landing in a ready crouch, eyes glowing. Lexa attacked a second time, and Shalimar rolled again, knowing she needed to bring the fight up close. She jumped straight up, disappearing into the ceiling rafters for a brief moment before flying back down, landing on Lexa's back.

Lexa howled in anger as her legs crumbled beneath her, breath hitching as strong arms wrapped like tight iron bands around her neck. She arched her back, bucking desperately to throw the weight off, but the feral clung tightly. Spots danced before her eyes. _Betrayal.__ She was being betrayed again._ _No!_ She wrenched abruptly to the side, slamming Shalimar into the rock wall. For a brief moment, fingers loosened, and she gasped greedily for air, crying in outrage as hands fumbled, then clenched down again.

_Pain._ Pain ran up and down Shalimar's body as tender tissue ripped open on the bottom of her feet and her head pulsated with a thunderous roar. _Fight._ She had to fight. The enemy was trying to destroy everything she loved. _Why?_ Her heart cried out as she felt herself being slammed into rock again and again. Her fingers tightened further, legs wrapping around and tangling with Lexa's in a choke hold.

_"I trusted you!"_

Both women screamed at the same time, suddenly stilling as each other's words echoed throughout Sanctuary. Shalimar gasped, abruptly releasing her hold and springing to her feet as Lexa pushed up on her hands and knees, coughing harshly.

"Lexa! Shalimar!" Jesse's yell sounded from the end of the hallway, and Shalimar whirled to see Jesse at a dead run towards them, Brennan staggering behind him. Her eyes darted to him, seeing his fear and confusion right before light exploded behind her eyes and she was hit from behind. She screamed, fighting the nausea as she fell, twisting mid-air to bring Lexa down again with sweeping kick.

"Stop! Stop it!" She faintly heard voices screaming at them, but she focused solely on the glaring eyes in front of her. She tensed her body, about to spring again.

"No!"

Blue electricity crackled through the air, and she heard the sound seconds before it struck. She watched, fascinated as almost in slow motion, Lexa stumbled and fell, shaking as sparks singed the air around her.

And then it struck her next.

Her body collapsed almost from within, pain widening from her stomach and spreading rapidly up her limbs as she hit the ground. She screamed, curling into a fetal position for a moment as unbearable terror rained upon her. _Fear.__ Deja vu. _She whimpered. "Brennan?"

He groaned deeply, anguish ripping across his face as her eyes searched for his. "Shal--"

She cowered, snarling as he reached out a hand, and he froze. She pressed trembling hands into the ground, pushing herself back to a standing position. "Stay away from me!" She gripped her head, backing away as Brennan and Jesse stared at her. Jesse's eyes darted between hers and Lexa's still body, and she could see the torment in his eyes. _Escape._ She had to escape. She was being betrayed by her family. _Again._Instinct shifted from fight to flight mode, and her eyes flashed, daring them to follow as she took two more shaky steps backward and then turned and ran.

"Shalimar!"

Brennan called after her, gasping and holding his side as he made to follow, wincing as Jesse's hand shot out and locked onto his arm, pulling him to an abrupt stop.

"No."

"Let go of me!" Brennan struggled to free himself of Jesse's grip.

"Brennan, stop!" Jesse forced the other man to look at him. "Now is not the time. You can barely walk, and Shalimar's obviously not herself right now. Whatever this thing is, we know it can come and go. Let her calm down again, and then we find her."

"No!" Brennan shook off Jesse's hand.

"Brennan, listen to me!" Jesse again grabbed him. "Right now we can do more good by staying here."

"What do you mean?" Brennan finally stopped fighting him and looked down at him.

"Shalimar's still got her ring on, we can track her. In the meantime, we've got Lexa." He nodded down to the unconscious woman. "We need to examine her, look for anything similar between their scans. We've got to figure this out, once and for all."

Brennan's shoulders sagged in weary defeat, knowing that Jesse was right. _Shalimar._ He bit his lip, looking down the hallway one final time before nodding reluctantly.

Lexa surged upward as consciousness returned, growling as restraints immediately dug into her skin, holding her down.

"Hey."

She twisted her head at the soft voice, eyes glaring as Jesse's face swarmed into view.

"How are you feeling?" He tried to run a hand through her hair, but she jerked her head back, away from his touch.

His gaze looked back at her sadly, but she stared back defiantly, eyes shifting as protective walls fell back into place. She had been foolish to trust again. She knew better. _Never again._ She was alone, just as it had always been since Leo's death. She lifted her chin, eyes flashing before deliberately turning her head away, pain slashing through her temple at the movement. It was better this way.

Brennan stared at his hands, barely noticing when Jesse came back over to him.

"She's awake."

He nodded slightly at Jesse's tone, understanding his pain and frustration. "What are we going to do, Jesse?"

"We're going to figure this thing out." Jesse sat back down at the computer in determination.

"What are we missing?" Brennan clenched his jaw as he forced tired knees to bend, moving to stand behind Jesse and staring at the computer screen. "I keep thinking it's got to be somehow tied to the serum. It's the only thing they've had in common."

"I know." Jesse pressed his lips together, not looking up as his fingers flew over the keys.

"Shal was convinced she saw Steven, but I don't know--" Brennan's voice trailed away in thought.

Jesse nodded, wheeling his chair over a few feet to another monitor that was tracking Shalimar. The little dot blinked back at them reassuringly, and they both blew out a breath of relief. At least she was staying in Sanctuary. Jesse wheeled back to the other computer.

"We've got to think here, Jess." Brennan pinched his nose in frustration. "She was having trouble sleeping, nightmares." His hand ticked off the list. "Mood swings, fear, anger. Her feral side even took over at times." He glanced over at Lexa who was struggling silently against her restraints. She stopped as soon as she noticed him watching. Brennan shook his head, turning back to Jesse. "What's the connection in all of this?"

Jesse swore, banging his hands on the computer screen as he again came up empty. "I don't know, Brennan." He pushed back in anger, standing up and pacing around the room. "The only unusual thing I can find in common between them is high blood pressure, but what does that mean?" He raked his hands through his hair, groaning as Lexa glared at him when he paused by her bed. His foot swung out, kicking the legs of the bed before turning and pacing the other direction.

Despite himself, Brennan almost chuckled at the expression on Lexa's face when Jesse kicked her bed. The laughter died in his throat though when he saw her face twist with emotion the moment Jesse turned his back to her. _He knew that look. Grief…or betrayal._ He straightened in sudden recognition. "Jesse!"

"What?"

Jesse walked back toward him as Brennan frantically gestured him over. "They both think that we've betrayed them, that they can't trust us or each other any more."

Jesse's brows shot up. "That's crazy."

"Crazy." Brennan snorted at the word. "Shalimar thought she was going crazy at times. It's like she was delusional."

"Or paranoid." Jesse turned to look at Brennan. "I scanned them, but never did a blood test."

"Does that make a difference?" Brennan shook his head. "The scans still show everything."

"Not everything." Jesse hurried to a cupboard, pulling out a syringe and walking up to Lexa. "The serum caused dementia, right?"

"Yeah." Brennan watched as Lexa fought against Jesse as he drew her blood. "But it was permanent. Theirs seems to come and go." He frowned. "Besides, we've checked them over and over again, there is no serum. Even Dr. Marcus gave Shalimar a clean bill of health."

Jesse nodded, working quickly with the sample. "But Brennan, what else did they have in common?"

There was a beat of silence.

"The cure." Brennan paled, looking back at Jesse. "We never even thought--"

"I know." Jesse stopped his work and looked up for a moment. "But think about it. As far as we know, it was never tested on anyone; it was just developed as part of a Dominion project."

"Who knows what side effects there are?" Brennan breathed the words, eyes latching onto Jesse's in fear and hope. They were silent as Jesse worked, turning back to the computer analysis after a few more minutes. Jesse's eyes skimmed the screen, smile growing across his face as he spun in his chair.

"We've got it!"

They both clapped shoulders, turning back to the computer again.

Neither noticed the little dot that represented Shalimar had started moving closer again.

"So? What is it?" Brennan peered impatiently at the computer.

"Neurotransmitters," Jesse's finger stabbed the screen. "They both have elevated Dopamine levels."

Brennan's brows furrowed. "You mean a chemical imbalance?"

"Sort of." Jesse shook his head. "It's so simple; I can't believe I didn't catch it sooner."

"So Steven's really not here?"

"I doubt it." Jesse shook his head. "High Dopamine levels result in paranoia, hallucinations, delusions. Basically it causes psychotic conditions."

"Almost like the serum?" Brennan's eyes narrowed. "Why do I get the feeling the Dominion is somehow involved in all this?"

"Yeah." Jesse's eyes narrowed as he paused to look up at Lexa, who had stilled and was listening to them talk.

"I've got to find Shalimar." Brennan straightened up. "If I can just talk to her, I know I can make her understand."

"Brennan, wait." Jesse again stopped him. "She thinks you've betrayed her. Reasoning isn't going to do a whole lot of good at this point."

"Well, then what do you suggest?" Brennan's voice rose in frustration.

Jesse held out his hands appeasingly. "Remember how we finally stopped Steven?"

"No." Brennan stared at Jesse. "A dart?"

"She's too strong. I don't think we have any choice. We have to shoot her. It's the only way."

A stifled sob froze them both in their steps.

_No._ Brennan eyes closed as he swore under his breath in disbelief. _What else could go wrong lately?_ He took a deep breath, turning toward the doorway. "Shalimar—"

She flinched when he spoke her name, already backing away, eyes torturous.

His heart stopped, then slammed triplefold in his chest, until he bent over in physical pain. _Her eyes. _He rested his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths. That look would haunt him the rest of his life.

_Lost._

He had seen fingers of it, creeping across her face, welling in her eyes.

Lost hopes.

Lost dreams.

Lost causes.

Without another word to Jesse, he followed after her.

"Shalimar!"

She heard him calling and decided she had had enough of running. She spun around, falling into a neat crouch, waiting.

He faltered to a stop ten feet away from her, peering at her cautiously as she knelt in a shadowy corner.

She held her breath for a long moment, fighting the urge to run past him and disappear. _She was so tired of being afraid. She was so tired of hurting_. Her chest heaved as she wavered indecisively.

"Shalimar," Brennan struggled for words. "Let me help you." Her shadow took a step to the right. He sidestepped, cutting her off. She blew out a breath of air, moving back to the left. He again followed, at a loss of what to do. "Shal—"

He had her cornered. Her face flinched, eyes wary, staring dully at him as nausea twisted slowly in her stomach. _Fear._ She fought for control, moving again.

He held his ground as she instinctively took another step toward him. "It's _me_, Shalimar."

"No." She shook her head, _"no, no, no."_ Her eyes hardened. "I don't know you anymore."

A fission of fear sliced through him, but he forced his shaking legs to stand. _He had to get through to her._ He took another step closer.

_"DON'T" _

He froze in mid-step.

Her head snapped back, face furious as she stepped back. _"It's not you!"_ She took another step back, cringing when the roughness of the rocky wall dug into her scraped back. _Fight or flight?_ She wanted to run, to escape, but she had to fight. _Pain._ Her head throbbed with increasing swells. _She was so tired. So confused._ She growled lowly in her throat when out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jesse stalking closer, gun in his arms. She bared her teeth, eyes darting between the two of them.

Brennan saw her growing agitation as her crazed eyes fixated on a point behind his shoulder. _No._ He was losing her.

"Jesse," Brennan forced his shaking voice to sound calm, confident. "Back away, now."

"Brennan, I can—"

_"No!"_ Shalimar flinched as his voice raised and he quickly lowered it again. "I _need_ to do this."

"But a tranquilizer is safer—"

"No."

There was a long pause and then a shuffle of steps as Jesse reluctantly eased back. Brennan sighed, watching carefully as her eyes focused back on him. Sweat ran in rivulets down her face, and he longed to reach out, to hold her. She seemed to sense his thoughts and jerked back another step.

A groan escaped her compressed lips as Brennan shifted again and his face disappeared into the shadows. She trembled. _Steven…the shadowy monster._ _Was he here now, hunting her?_ She swallowed, bile rising in her throat as she pressed her back into the wall. _Or was she being betrayed again?_ She didn't know what was real anymore. Memory and reason twisted together.

"…You have to trust me, Shalimar."

Brennan's voice was a faint din amidst the roar in her ears. Her hands rose, fingers digging into her temple. _She didn't know who to trust._ Raw pain burned down her neck, and she sobbed, fear overwhelming her as Steven's wavering face suddenly appeared behind Brennan's shoulder. _"No."_ He laughing mockingly, gray eyes piercing her, and she realized she was trapped between the monster and the wall. _Déjà vu._ She whimpered. _White walls_. "No!" Her knees collapsed beneath her, and she sank to the floor, screaming, but no sound came out. The edge of reason and reality split open, and suddenly, she was a little girl again, trapped within confining white walls, and her heart raced faster as she cowered beneath the monster hovering over her, claw-like fingers stretching toward her. She could see every detail. His grim smile, the white flecks of his eyes as pupils dilated in hunger. _The eyes._ The gray eyes wanted to claim her spirit, break her will. They wanted to beat it out of her. She whimpered, not understanding why this was happening. He laughed and reached for her, and she threw her arms over her head.

Suddenly Brennan was there, standing over her, eyes filled with wrath, ready to take the attack in her place.

Her eyes slammed shut.

And then the shakes began. Brennan's voice again called desperately to her, and she screamed again, fighting with her last bit of strength to forcibly wrenching her mind back into conscious awareness.

The roar dissipated.

She opened her eyes and saw that Brennan stood before her, eyes damp, desperate as he repeated her name over and over. _Brennan._ And suddenly she knew, and suddenly she saw.

It was truth.

It was trust.

It simply was.

She bit back a sob. _It was over._ It was simply Brennan who stood before her, and she knew him. _She trusted him._ He saw the shift in her eyes, and dropped to his knees beside her, hands reaching for her. _He was so tentative._ Her heart throbbed anew, and she lifted her face to him, tears overflowing and spilling down her cheeks as she opened her arms to him. His eyes flickered, and his face twisted almost with pain as he released pent-up breath. The back of her knuckles landed on his face, tracing the firm line of his jaw.

_You're really here?_

_I'm really here._

A relieved sob escaped, and her eyes dropped shut, falling forward as he wrapped his arms around her. His own knees gave way, and they fell backward. She landed on top of him, realizing after a moment she was kissing him, and that the tears fell unabashedly from his eyes as he kissed her back with raw, stark emotion. The remaining edges slammed together, hungry, desperate. They meshed and something clicked from deep within her with a force that almost hurt. Hurt with the desperate, overwhelming relief at the beauty of it all. She pulled back from his kiss, opening her eyes, searching his tender gaze.

_It's you?_

_It's always been me._

She leaned down, tangling their fingers together, pressing soft kisses against his eyes, nose, lips. His strong hands rose to frame her cheeks, and her hands rested against his steady heartbeat, absorbing the sound, the strength of him. Her eyes opened and as he stared at her in wonder, her lips curved into a healing smile.

She was found.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this chapter! Thank you so much for those still with me! I can't believe there's only one chapter left! Thank you Mayra, Meg, Jessica, Blackpanther, CatJerica, Fiery Feral, Rain, PoisonousBlaze, Trex Kitten (Welcome!), Mfkngst. I am so glad you liked the outcome of the plot, I was afraid it would be too anti-climatic. This chapter should answer the last of your questions (I hope) and then the final chapter will be more of an epilogue for the series. So here you go, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Thank you!

All Things—Chapter Sixteen

Brennan was mad. One moment Shalimar had been in his arms, the next she had jumped to her feet, stalking down the hallway, shouting something over her shoulder about someone outside.

He blinked, too shocked at first to respond, as his mind whirled desperately, trying to catch up with all that had happened in the last few minutes. _Had she really just been in his arms?_ He pushed up to his feet, ignoring the stabbing pain that his body sent shooting to his brain in protest as he again forced limbs into movement.

"Shalimar!"

She barely spared him a glance as he ran up next to her.

"Shalimar, what are you doing?"

"Making sure this ends tonight." She turned toward the garage.

His stomach dropped as he noticed her hand rub her temple. "Shal, listen to me. I know you're feeling…better, but you're still sick. We finally figured it out, and we need to get you back to the lab."

She glanced at him, but didn't stop. "You guys can play doctor on me all you want, but there's something I have to do first." She wrenched open the inner door that led to the garage.

_Outside_. Brennan grabbed her arm. "Shal, no."

She finally stopped, eyes softening as she looked up at him. "It's ok. I know what I'm doing."

"What are you doing?" He cupped the back of her neck, searching her eyes, shoulders losing some of their tension when he saw the warmth looking back at him.

"There's someone outside."

His shoulders tensed again as his other hand rose up and he linked his fingers together behind her neck. His eyes stared down at her sadly. "There's no one out there, you're still confused."

She straightened up, hands resting on his forearms. "I can't explain it, but I can sense him, Brennan."

"Steven's dead, Shalimar. He's not here."

She winced slightly at the name, eyes dropping. "I know that, _now_." Her eyes swept back up in determination. "But someone else is, I have to end this once and for all."

She pulled out of his grasp, not stopping when he called after her again, pausing to pluck her coat off its hook.

"Shal, no!" Brennan ran up to her again, clamping his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not letting you go out there, you need help."

She sighed, not turning around. "I'm sorry, Brennan."

"What for?"

She whirled around, sweeping his feet out from under him. "For that." She stood over him for just a brief moment, and then she disappeared out the door.

Brennan swore, fist banging the floor in frustration. "Jesse!" He hollered into his comlink. "You better get out here!" He closed his eyes, taking a breath, climbing to his feet yet again.

He straightened up in surprise when she suddenly came walking outside. _Finally._ He was getting bored waiting. He lifted his camera, pressing the cold metal casing against his eye, and started to focus the lens, stopping with a startled exclamation when their eyes met from across the distance. _She was headed right toward him._ He slowly lowered the camera down from his eye, a small squeak escaping his nervous lips as she stalked closer. As the camera bag fell with a soft whoosh into the snow, he turned and ran.

"Hurry up, Jesse." Brennan spoke impatiently, not even noticing that the other man was actually already a step ahead of him and that he was the one lagging behind.

Jesse shook his head, keeping quiet as he knew all too well that Brennan was racked with worry and guilt. He felt the same way. He pressed his lips together as his fingers tightened around the tranquilizer gun in his hand. He should have used it when he had the chance, then Shalimar wouldn't be running loose outside again. It was such a simple answer; he couldn't believe they had missed it for so long. Such a simple answer, and with a simple solution. _At least he knew how to treat it_, he comforted himself with the knowledge, anxious to find Shalimar and get back to Lexa. He had left her in the lab; she must be furious with him by now. He swallowed at the thought.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and both men paused, eyes lifting to the gray sky with anger. As if the snow and sleet wasn't enough, now there was a storm coming. Brennan grunted, pushing forward again. They hit the tree line, unsure which way to go next, when Brennan's hand suddenly clamped onto Jesse's arm with shock.

"Jess."

Jesse's eyes lifted at Brennan's dry whisper and followed his pointed finger, stumbling with surprise at the sight before them.

Shalimar was staggering out of the dark forest, almost hidden by the shadows save for her bright red mittens. She looked tired, but her eyes were set with fierce determination. She had her arm hooked around the neck of a protesting man. Brennan's mouth gaped open.

He was real.

There had been someone out here after all.

Anger coursed through his veins, and he narrowed his eyes, strolling forward and meeting them.

"Allow me." Jesse's hand on his arm stopped Brennan as his fist reflexively tightened. Brennan relaxed his arm, watching as Shalimar released her hold on the man as Jesse stepped up to him. Jesse's eyes darted down, noticing a camera clutched in the man's trembling fingers. He frowned, lifting his eyes again. He stared at the man a brief moment, and then he punched him.

The man fell cold.

Brennan grunted in satisfaction.

"That felt good." Jesse rubbed his fist absently as he stared at the fallen man.

"How much you want to bet he's Dominion?" Brennan reached down and tore the camera out of the man's limp fingers.

"Yeah." Jesse snorted sarcastically, bending down and hefting the man over his shoulder. "Let's take this little souvenir back with us, see what we can find out."

Brennan stared at Shalimar, faintly noticing Jesse as he walked away from them. She hadn't said a word, and he fell silent as she stared back at him.

_Now is it finally over? _

_It's over. _

He staggered toward her with an energy he didn't even know he had.

She met him halfway.

The throbbing of her head forced her to shut her eyes a moment as pain flashed down her cheek and through her jaw. She heard him whisper her name, and then he had her. They swayed as one, their arms locked. His breath came in gulps, painful and searing, and he could feel her warmth against him. The hood of her coat fell and he buried his nose into the coolness of her hair. She clung to him, pulling him close. He held her, kissed her, touched his lips to her eyes. She had come back to him. He stared a moment, lost in their oneness, and then he suddenly let go, eyes flashing.

"That was foolish, Shalimar!"

"What?" She stared back at him calmly. "I found him, didn't I?"

"You're still sick, you could have been hurt!"

She crossed her arms. "But I didn't, I'm fine."

He raked a hand through his hair, eyes showing his frustration. "You scared me to death."

Her eyes softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Brennan, I really am." She placed her hand on his arm. "But I had to do this."

He frowned, hand cupping her cheek. "I don't understand you sometimes, you know that?"

"I know." She smiled. "Let's go back inside where it's warm, you can yell at me all you want then."

He huffed, breath fogging out in the damp air, glancing up at the sky as thunder rumbled, closer this time. "Yeah." He offered her his hand, and she took it as together, they turned and walked back home.

Hours passed in a blur for Jesse as he restrained the man in a temporary force field, having more important matters to deal with first. After consulting with Dr. Marcus, he worked on Lexa, then Shalimar, Brennan hovering over his shoulder. Antipsychotic medication. Such a simple thing, but amazing differences it made as slowly, as time passed, Lexa stopped struggling and finally lay still. Jesse glanced over to where Brennan was laying in one of the med beds, holding Shalimar in his arms. They were all exhausted. He pulled a chair up, settling in next to Lexa.

"Hey." He ran a hand through her damp hair as she turned her head toward the sound of his voice.

"Hey." Her lips curved into a tired smile as she focused her eyes on his face. "You look like hell."

"Thanks." He chortled softly at her words, bending down and giving her a gentle kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Like you look." She winced as she laughed, eyes falling shut. "What happened?"

"You mean before or after you were infected by the serum or had delusional paranoia from the anti-serum?"

Her brows rose at his words, eyes rolling. "It's always something, isn't it?"

He smiled, fingers resting in her hair. "What do you remember?"

She was quiet for a moment, thinking. Her brows creased. "Everything." She clutched Jesse's hand as his fingers closed around hers. "Jesse, I was so confused, I went from wanting to hide the serum so I could protect you, to becoming obsessed with it and wanting to—to kill Shalimar because she was getting too close to learning about it, to thinking that all of you were out to get me, and that I couldn't trust you."

"I'm sorry." He shook his head.

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "In my mind, I had no one. I was all alone."

"You have me."

Her eyes fell closed as his thumbs brushed over them, wiping away a tear. "I was told the same thing by Eckhart, and look how that turned out."

"We're not like that, Lexa."

"I know that," Her lips quirked. "Now."

Jesse smiled back, bending down and pressing a kiss to her brow and then resting his head on her chest. Silence fell back over them as her fingers tangled in his short hair.

The evening shadows brought on the thunderstorm full force. Even through layers of rock, Brennan could hear echoes of the storm, could sense the electricity as it crackled in the air. It was keeping him awake. He groaned, flopping back to his stomach in another attempt to find a comfortable sleeping position. It felt like it had been hours since he had lain down, eyes so tired they burned, but he couldn't get his body to relax enough for sleep. His mind kept replaying the day over and over, his frustration and anger stirring anew when he thought of the risks and the possibilities. Shalimar and Lexa had been treated, and Jesse had insisted Shalimar stay in the lab. After noticing the look on Brennan's face, she had finally agreed. He was upset. He knew it was irrational, that he should be feeling relief, and he was, but he also couldn't stop the feelings of anger and resentment. She had been so foolish, taking him down just so she could follow her instincts and run around outside yet again. It didn't matter that she had been right; it mattered that she hadn't trusted him enough to include him. _Trust._ He crankily moaned, rolling to his side and shoving a pillow over his head. It always seemed to come back to that word lately. Between their cases and the touchy subject of those undercover kisses, and the trials they had to endure on the island and now even here at home, it was a wonder they had survived at all. It was stubbornness, pure stubborn refusal on both their parts to never let go. He was a lucky man. _So why am I so mad?_ He gritted his teeth, turning to his other side as thunder rumbled lowly in the distance. He felt like he was having a delayed reaction to everything that had happened in the past few days; now that the immediate danger was past, he was allowing himself to feel what he dared not before. Frustration, anger…_fear_. He didn't like the feeling of being out of control. He stiffened as the bed suddenly dipped, and two small arms wrapped around him. Her scent hit him a moment later, and he shivered despite himself as she pressed her body against his rigid back. He turned, hand resting on her hip as she tangled their legs together, bringing a quick smile to his lips as she pressed cold feet against his calves. It faded when he felt the rough and tattered skin; her feet had to be hurting her. She shared his pillow, and they lay facing each other, silent, for long moments. Thunder sounded again, and he felt the slight shudder that ran through her as she ducked her head, pressing her nose into his shoulder. She hated storms.

"Hey, hey," His hand rose up to cup the back of her head, pulling her closer. "It's ok, I'm right here."

"You're upset."

His anger melted away at her small voice. "No I'm not."

"Yeah you are."

"Un-huh."

"Uh-huh."

He sighed in exasperation. "Ok, I am, but not really." He tightened his hold on her. "I'm just…feeling things."

Her finger traced an invisible line around his chest. "I understand, Brennan. Better than you think. You're not the only one who's feeling used right now."

He pulled back slightly in surprise, meeting her eyes. _She always knew._ He shook his head slightly. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," She laid her head back on his chest as his fingers gently twined into her hair. "You did so much for me Brennan, and all I did was hurt you."

"Nah, you could never hurt me."

She lifted her head, smiling as he repeated his words from so long ago. He grinned back, running his fingers over her cheeks, soothing the frost burns and tired lines. "I love you, Shal." His voice was a husky timbre, and she captured his lips, surprising them both with her intensity.

"I love you too." Her whisper stirred him, and he rolled them, claiming her mouth again with gentle urgency as her arms stole around his neck. He kissed her, kissed her so long and so hungrily she could scarcely breathe. She clutched his hair in her fingers, and his arms closed around her, and she felt his passion surging through the muscles.

"You're supposed to be resting," He finally spoke, voice hoarse and pained.

Laughing softly, she kissed his cheek. "So are you."

He chuckled in chagrin. "Yeah." He caught her face between his hands and kissed her eyelids. "You should go back to the lab."

"No." She tightened her hold on his dark hair. "You can just forget that idea right now."

His fingers dug into her back between her shoulder blades. "You always win, don't you?"

"Do you feel like you've lost?"

"Lost control, lost my mind." He flashed her a quick smile, kissing her again, groaning softly.

"You see," She trailed a hand down his back, breath warming his ear. "I can't go back now."

He rested his face in her hair, breathing heavily. "No, not now."

And he kissed her.

Night passed slowly, the storm gradually clearing as hours ticked away. Brennan lay beside Shalimar, too agitated to sleep. Her breath was a warm mist on his arm, and he studied the fall of her eyelashes on her cheek, the curve of her lips. They were slack and slightly parted, just showing the edge of her white teeth. He forked his fingers into her hair as she stirred. Her eyes opened drowsily, and she smiled. He touched her smile, giving her one of his own. _Dear God, he loved her._ He shifted his position to face her.

She raised herself up onto her elbow. "What are you thinking?"

"That I'm the luckiest man alive."

She shook her head. "You've had so many obstacles, so many hardships, lost so much."

He looked down at her velvety skin, cradling her face in his palm. "If I had nothing but you, I'd still be the luckiest."

She leaned into his touch, kissing him softly. "I'm the lucky one, Brennan, I have you."

He pulled her into a tender hug, setting his chin on top of her head.

"Hey Bren?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you sleep?"

He chuckled. "Not really."

"Me either."

"You were just sleeping a moment ago."

She shrugged. "Not really."

"Come on." He tugged on her fingers, pulling her up with him.

"Where are we going?" She yawned heavily as he dropped a blanket around her shoulders.

"Let's walk."

Her brows rose. "Now?"

"Yeah."

"We can barely move."

They smiled at each other.

"Not very far, let's just get out of here." He held out his hand and she closed her fingers around his, a startled puff of air escaping her as he suddenly picked her up, carrying her down the dim hallway.

"Here, Bren." She tugged on his fingers as they walked by the fireplace. He settled into one of the big chairs, arms automatically circling around Shalimar as she crawled into his lap. They sighed, looked around, and then made eye contact.

_One thing missing. _

Shalimar stood up, watching as Brennan knelt and lit a fire, climbing back on top of him as soon as he sat back down.

"Much better." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple as she curved around his body and tangled their fingers together.

They were silent for a moment, lost in thought.

"You're really ok?" Brennan finally broke the silence.

"Yeah." She sighed quietly.

"Tell me about it."

She shrugged, "You've been through enough already, Brennan."

"Shal," He kissed her hair, wrapped a silky strand around his finger, "Watching you go through all this was...hard. But you _lived_ it. You can't keep that inside."

"It was horrible, Brennan." She closed her eyes. "Seeing my worst fears come to life."

"Your worst fear was that I would kiss Lexa?"

"No." She laughed slightly. "I was afraid my friends weren't really my friends, that the people I trusted had betrayed me."

"I'm sorry." His arms tightened around her.

"When I was a little girl, I trusted my family. I thought they loved me, but they put me in that—that institution." She shook her head. "It was like all the old fears of being trapped, of being hurt came back. I could remember it all, but it somehow twisted with my experiences and with reality until I couldn't tell the difference anymore."

"Steven."

She nodded against his chest. "I was so sure, Brennan. I couldn't believe anything, trust anything. My whole world was crashing around me." She shuddered at the memory, fingers digging into his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Brennan. I was terrible to you."

"Hey, it's ok, it wasn't you."

She sniffed, shaking her head slightly.

His heart constricted. "Oh baby, I'm sorry you had to go through that." He pulled back, running the backs of his knuckles down her cheeks, kissing the unshed tears from her closed lids. Her lips curved, trembling tumultuously, drinking in his comfort. After a long moment, he dipped his head, catching her gaze. "I want to explain about those undercover kisses, Shal."

She pressed her lips together at the reminder. "You don't have to."

"Yeah I do." He lifted her chin, maintaining eye contact. "They really were just kisses, Shalimar, forced by circumstance."

She nodded slightly. "I know."

"No, Shal." He shook his head, desperate for her to understand. "With Allie, Lexa, I wasn't working just any random case, it was to save people important to me. Cole, and you." He brushed a curl off her temple, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "With Riley," He hesitated, searching for words. "We share a son, even though it wasn't by choice, it felt like we knew each other, shared a connection, like with Becky and Conner or even Samantha."

"Oh." She hated how small her voice sounded.

"But Shal, I didn't choose any of that." His fingers framed her cheek. "But I do choose you, everyday."

Startled, her eyes swept back up to his.

He smiled tenderly. "You and me, we are connected beyond our situations, we are connected by choice. You are in my heart, my mind, my soul." His voice trailed away as she reached up and traced his lips with her fingers, following it a moment later with her own mouth closing gently over his.

Finally she pulled back, smiling into his eyes. "It's ok, Brennan. I do understand." She shushed him, capturing his lips in a soothing kiss.

They eventually relaxed, watching the slow burn of the small fire, content as the first rays of morning light stole over Sanctuary, both startling when there was a sudden lurch against the chair. They looked down, laughing as Chester pounced in the air again, landing with her front paws down in front of her, rear end sticking up in the air in a gesture pleading for attention.

"I love you, Shal." Brennan cupped her neck, pressing a tender kiss to her upturned mouth before pulling away and waving his fingers at Chester. The little dog yapped happily, bounding up between them. Shalimar laughed again, rubbing the dog's back as she butted her head against her arm, settling back against Brennan contentedly. The day had much waiting for them; but it could wait a little longer.

Jesse reluctantly released the stranger from the force field, staring at Lexa in resignation. She shared his look. It went against their better judgment to let the man go, but the Dominion had demanded it of them.

"My camera?" The man held out an impervious hand.

"Don't press your luck." Jesse's voice graveled in disgust.

The man's eyes widened, hand dropping as Lexa approached, grasping his arm and escorting him toward the garage. "If it were up to me, this wouldn't be happening." She spoke conversationally, eyes hard as she turned him toward her as they reached the door. "See that you don't run into us again. Ever." Her lips flattened.

He swallowed, frowning in protest, but scurrying out the door as Jesse pointedly cleared his throat.

Lexa slammed the door in anger, leaning heavily against it, looking up as Brennan and Shalimar entered the room as well, Chester trailing after them.

"He's gone?" Shalimar's eyes were narrowed.

"Yeah." Jesse's eyes roved around the room, meeting each of their gazes. "But I'm still not sure that was the right thing to do."

"He's Dominion," Brennan's hand landed reassuredly on Shalimar's shoulder. "We play their hand for now, but we keep an eye on them."

"Yeah," Jesse snorted. "Like they kept an eye on us."

"At least they admitted to watching us," Lexa's fist banged against the door one last time for good measure before she pushed off it, walking back toward the main area of Sanctuary. "I should have known when they gave us the anti-serum so readily. Nothing with them is ever that easy."

"Watching us like lab rats." Shalimar turned abruptly, following after Lexa, back stiff with anger. "I can just imagine how…_excited _they were to learn their supposed cure was even better then their original serum."

"A simpler means of control, using someone's fears to their own personal advantage, to accomplish their own goals, but without the mess of permanent dementia like the serum." Jesse shook his head. "Who thinks of these things?"

"Layers and layers, for every project there's another project."

Jesse groaned as Lexa repeated her words from the previous mission. "Yeah, so I've heard." Their eyes met in awareness. _What next?_

"Well," Lexa forced a lighter tone to her voice. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like celebrating."

"Celebrating?" Shalimar looked at her in disbelief. "We were used _again_ and went through all of this for _nothing,_ and you want to celebrate?"

"Hey, it's ok." Brennan quietly soothed her, hands squeezing her shoulders.

"I don't think it was all for nothing," Jesse mused as he sat down on the couch, the others sitting around him. "The cure was the medium, it caused all the paranoia, but we brought a lot of this upon ourselves as well."

"How?" Brennan wrapped his fingers around Shalimar's as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Chester curled up at their feet, head resting on her paws.

Jesse watched as Lexa disappeared toward the kitchen, waiting until she returned, leaning against the doorway. "We kept secrets."

They looked at each other.

"Secrets that played on hidden fears and almost tore us apart." Shalimar murmured softly, head nodding in understanding.

"The ironic thing is that in the end, our fears were almost the same." Lexa dropped her eyes for a moment. "Betrayal of trust."

"We've had a hard road, with deep battle scars," Shalimar paused, splayed her fingers between Brennan's, feeling their combined strength. "It's more important than ever we stick together."

"So we agree, no more secrets?" Brennan squeezed Shalimar's fingers back, meeting Jesse's eyes.

"No more secrets." Lexa cleared her throat, straightening up in the doorway and pulling a bottle out from behind her back. "And I have just the thing to toast that promise with." She hefted the bottle in her hand, grinning.

Brennan's eyes widened. "Kava! I thought it was all gone."

Her grin widened. "I saved a little." She waved the bottle in the air. "So?"

They glanced at each other, smiling as she pulled her other hand out from behind her back to reveal four glasses.

They poured a little in each glass, sitting back down.

"No more secrets." Jesse lifted his glass into the air as they took a sip.

"Ugh, that's just nasty." Shalimar made a face as she tasted it. "How can you stand this stuff?"

Jesse and Lexa looked at each other.

"It grows on you," Jesse snorted dryly. "Trust me."

An image of a mad grin plastered across his face and her underwear atop his head flashed through Shalimar's mind. She couldn't help it, she started to laugh.

Jesse immediately turned red, knowing exactly what she thinking.

Brennan smirked, lifting his glass. "To family."

"To family."

They clinked their glasses together, silence washing over them for a moment as they took another sip.

A snicker broke the comfortable silence.

_"Oh shut up." _

Shalimar looked at Jesse's face, his smile belying his words and laughed aloud, shoulders shaking. Jesse protested for only a moment more before joining in, throwing his pillow at Shalimar.

She only laughed harder, nudging Brennan with her shoulder as he caught the pillow and waggled his eyebrows.

"Don't you dare!"

Too late.

The pillow flew back through the air.

"Hey!" Jesse quickly phased, smirking at Brennan as the pillow sailed right through him. "Ha!" He didn't see the second pillow that Shalimar hefted his way or the one that Lexa held poised above his head.

_"Hey!"_ His protesting voice was muffled by thick, downy stuffing. He snatched the pillow from Lexa, making a face at her as she laughed, and then whipping it through the air again.

Electricity crackled through the air, frying the pillow, sending feathers floating down over them. Jesse blew out his breath in disbelief, spitting downy fluff out of his mouth. Chester jumped to her feet, barking excitedly as she pounced on an unsuspecting feather as it landed near her.

Shalimar's shoulders shook with mirth, leaning against Brennan as his arm circled around her waist. She tipped her smiling mouth up to him as he looked down at her, eyes dancing as an unnoticed pillow hit him upside the head. He roared, reaching for another pillow. Occasional feathers drifted down as the fight ensued, mingling with Chester's merry barks and their combined laughter as it rose up through Sanctuary, the sound music after so long. And though they had never really left, they had come all the way back to where they belonged; they were home again.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Disclaimer—See Chapter One

A/N: When I wrote this chapter, I had it in the back of my mind that this was not only the final chapter for the story, but for the series as well. With that in mind, my goal was to weave familiar scenes and familiar settings from all three stories in this series together, showing how they've come full circle; this was the result. This chapter is extremely long, (actually the length of three normal sized chapters!). I don't know if I quite accomplished what I envisioned for this finale, but I hope if nothing else you will be able to recognize the emotion I wanted to convey, and I hope you won't be too disappointed. For those kind enough to ask, I will be back as soon as I can with another story; however it may be a little while as I've been asked to help with a Virtual Season Four project alongwith other authors from this site. I have three episodes that I am due to write by Christmas, so I will be busy! The Virtual Season will be posted starting in January at the MXLOS site; that's about all I know, I'm sure the project leaders will share more information soon. I hope to be back to post a one-shot Christmas fic in the next few weeks, and then will be back here again in January. I've also just added another new video clip to my little site, for those that like to watch those. Thank you so much for staying with me through the journey. I appreciate you all more than words can say!

_A/N II: Thank you so much to the following, without whom I could not have kept going. Your feedback inspires me and challenges me each and every time. I cannot thank you enough. Viviana, once again your faith in me kept me going when I felt like giving up. Thank you for your encouragement. Mari, my friend, your honesty and your love for these characters is an invaluable combination. Thank you for sharing your time, your ideas, and your insight. Rogue, thank you once again for your beta'ing help. From one perfectionist to the other, I appreciate it so much!:)__ Thank you. Garfieldlady, thank you for your never-ending support and comments! Fiery Feral, I can always count on you for feedback, thank you so much for that! CatJerica, I love that you got so attached to Chester! :) __Thank you so much for everything! Mayra, I'm so glad you shared your thoughts with me throughout the story; I'll do my best to keep you guessing! :) __Thank you! Mfkngst, thank you for your amazing reviews! Rain, I think you were the first to guess what was happening, thank you from one writer to the other! Quadrantje, thank you so much for all your feedback and your questions! KT, your insights and encouragement mean so much, thank you! Brennan's Angel, thank you! I'm so glad you liked the descriptions! Jessica, thank you for following me through all my stories! Blackpanther2288, your feedback is always so encouraging, thank you! Melodie568, thank you for reviewing! Lady Alexandra, thank you for your support! To all who left such wonderful and thoughtful reviews: Redhead2, PoisonousBlaze, Alxi, Cristina, Tikigurl293, hybridangel04, dusted, lauren13, Colleen, Rachel, Meg, mxfan214, Trex Kitten, and to anyone kind enough to review this last chapter--thank you all so much! _

All Things—Chapter Seventeen, Epilogue to Emotions Series

Cold had again taken a massive grip on Sanctuary. Bare branches sagged heavily, buried under a thick blanket of snow and ice. Fresh powder fell; fat, lazy flakes that slowly filled in scattered footprints and washed things anew. And as the hibernating creatures burrowed down, turning over in their cozy dens with a tired snort before settling back in for the long winter months ahead, so did Shalimar.

Muffled sound was the first thing her conscious mind registered, eyes still firmly closed in sleep. Despite her best resolve to sleep in that morning, the sound intrigued her, and she poked her head out from the many layers of warmth, smiling at the faint squeaks of rubber soles on slate and the good-natured ribbing between the men in her life. They were playing basketball, Brennan protesting as Jesse took advantage of every opportunity to remind him of how badly he played. Warmth spread through her at the familiar sound, a reassuring sign that normalcy had finally returned. She exchanged glances with Chester as the little dog lifted her head from where she was cuddled into her side and looked up at her, nodding in agreement before throwing the covers back over their heads. It was a good day to sleep in.

"Ha-ha! I win!" Jesse thrust his chest into the air with pride, laughing as Brennan shook his head adamantly, opening his mouth. Jesse cut him off. "And don't you dare say that I cheated, you're the one sneaking in powers!"

"I did not!" Brennan mock threw the ball at Jesse, smirking as Jesse fell for the rouse and flung his hands up to catch the nonexistent ball. "I think we're gonna need a rematch." He shifted his weight, resting the ball on his hip.

"Sorry, bro," Jesse shook his head. "You still need to take it easy; it's only been a few days."

"I have been resting." Brennan complained. "Shal and I have hardly left our room for two days."

"Uh-huh." Jesse crossed his arms as he quirked an eyebrow. "Since when have either of you ever been that good of patients? It doesn't take a genius to figure out what kind of resting you've been doing."

Brennan's lips twitched. "I refuse to answer that."

"Right." Jesse laughed. "Seriously though, you still need time to heal. You've been through hell lately."

"Yeah." Brennan sighed. "Thanks for all your help and everything, man."

"You too, I couldn't have made it through these last few days without you." They clasped hands, hugging briefly.

"Now," Brennan slapped Jesse's shoulder, "How about that rematch?"

"Can't do it." Jesse shook his head, smiling at Brennan's persistence. "Anyway, I promised Lexa I'd help her with breakfast this morning."

"But it's her turn to cook."

"So?" Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Besides, you don't really want to eat her cooking, do you? It's aw--"

"Watch it, Kilmartin."

Jesse's voice trailed off as Lexa suddenly appeared behind him, finger trailing down his back as she circled around him. "Ah, hi." He offered her a smile as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Hi." She stared back at him, lips quirking as he shifted nervously. "You were saying?"

"Uh," His hands landed on her hips. "It's awfully early to eat a big meal yet?"

"Uh-huh." She rested a hand on his cheek, ignoring Brennan as he snickered behind her. "That's what I thought." She grinned at Jesse as he shrugged sheepishly. "What do you think, Brennan?" Her voice rose to include the man behind her.

"He's all yours, Lex." Brennan chuckled, throwing the ball into the air, pouting as it bounced off the rim.

"You hear that?" Lexa ran her hands down Jesse's chest. "You're all mine."

They smiled at each other, again ignoring Brennan as he groaned behind them. Jesse's arm slipped around her waist, smoothly turning her toward the kitchen. "Let's go..._cook."_

Her lips quirked again. "You in the mood for something sweet...or spicy?"

"Argh!" Brennan clamped his hands over his ears, heading down the hallway, leaving them laughing as they watched him escape.

Slumber had once again taken over, the faint rumble of voices and laughter lulling her senses. The slight dip of the bed roused her, and Shalimar's eyes flew open as the covers were slowly peeled back.

"Hey." Brennan's grinning face loomed in her vision.

"Hey." She lifted her head off the pillow, giving him a quick kiss before gently tugging the comforter out of his hands and throwing it back over her head.

Brennan rolled his eyes, leaning over so he rested his arm on the other side of the lump under the blankets. "Time to wake up, Shal."

"No."

He tugged again on the blanket, laughing as her fingers tightened their grip, holding it firmly in place. "Come on, Shal."

"Un-huh."

He gave up the tug-of-war with the top of the blankets, grinning as he instead ran his hands under the blanket from the side.

"Brennan!" She squealed as his cold fingers brushed down her thigh. He laughed; latching onto a kicking ankle and pulling her out, laughing harder as a tiny second lump suddenly jumped and whined.

"Come on Chester!" Brennan called to the little dog as she poked her head out from under the rumpled comforter, running his hands up Shalimar's sides and resting them on her waist as she blew strands of hair out of her eyes and stared grumpily up at him. Unintimidated, he gave her sides a teasing tickle, smiling when she laughed and sinking down into her arms when they rose up to circle around his neck.

"Good morning." He buried his nose in her hair as she pulled him down into a hug.

"Hmm, good morning." Her fingers dug into his shoulder blades as he started kissing her exposed collarbone. "Hey Brennan?" She captured his roaming face, giving him another kiss.

"Hmm?"

"You stink."

He pulled back in surprise, teeth flashing white as he grinned back down into her twinkling eyes. "Basketball."

"Yeah," She pushed gently against his chest, smiling wider as he reluctantly released her. "Go shower."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He dropped a final, lingering kiss on her upturned mouth. "Join me?"

"Hmm," She glanced over at Chester as the dog sat patiently on the edge of the bed, watching them. "What do you think, Chester?"

The little dog whined.

"I agree." Shalimar grinned at Brennan before pulling the blankets back over her head.

"I'm so abused." Brennan gave a longsuffering sigh as Shalimar giggled. He shook his head, giving her toes a quick squeeze through the blankets before pushing up off the bed, stripping out of his sweaty clothes, pulling clean boxers out of his dresser, and padding toward the bathroom. Shalimar heard his retreating footsteps, peeking her head out to admire the view, sighing when he disappeared from sight. She waited until she heard the sound of running water, and then smiled, giving Chester a quick pat on the head as she sprang from the bed.

Brennan made quick work of his shower, shivering slightly as cold air hit him when he stepped out, eyes closed as water ran in rivulets down his face. "Brrr." His teeth chattered as his hand reached for the towel, freezing when he found it missing. His eyes flew open.

The towel rack was completely bare.

He spun around, checking for his clothes.

They were gone as well.

"Shalimar!" He groaned, arms wrapping around himself as he started to shiver. "It's cold!"

It was suspiciously quiet through the closed bathroom door.

He pressed his lips together, taking a step forward, freezing again at the sound of crunching. He glanced down, surprised to see a plain white box with a jaunty red ribbon around it resting on the floor. _What in the world?_ His brows furrowed, and he bent over, picking up the slightly crushed box. He shook it, eyes darting again to the closed door.

"Shal?"

She still didn't answer, so he shrugged, pulling off the lid. His eyes widened, lips twitching at what he found inside, laughing as he pulled them on.

"Very nice." Shalimar's eyes glowed appreciatively when he stepped out of the bathroom. "You like?" She smiled as he turned around, giving her the full effect.

"I love them." His finger beckoned her over; eyes rested on her own matching attire, smile widening. "I love you."

She grinned and ambled closer to him.

"Thank you," Brennan reached out, hands resting on her hips as she came to a stop against him. "How did you even find them?"

"Special order." She waggled her eyebrows as he bent and captured her lips in a thorough kiss.

From her corner of the bed, Chester groaned, tags chiming together as she scratched at her collar and shook her head. Hadn't they learned how to stay warm yet? She yawned, rear end pointing up into the air as she stretched and then circled a few times, before lying back down. _Humans._ It was a good thing she was here to show them what to do They should know better than to wear just flimsy bits of white material, even if they did seem to take great delight in the funny little shapes scattered across them. _Humph._ Pink hearts they called them. No matter, they would do no good in keeping them warm. She rested her head on her paws with a pitiful sigh. They had so much to learn.

Breakfast never happened.

Jesse and Lexa were nowhere in sight when Brennan and Shalimar finally emerged from their room to grab a quick snack before continuing to the weight room. Shalimar had pleaded with Brennan to let her get out and do something. After being cooped up inside Sanctuary for the past few days, she felt ready to crawl the walls. Her first choice was a walk outside, as she craved the crisp air she knew awaited her, but Brennan flat out refused to go outside because of her feet. It had taken all of her persuasive abilities to convince him to come with her to the weight room.

"A light workout, remember Shal." Brennan propped his hands on his hips as he watched Shalimar's eyes light up the minute she saw the punching bag.

"Yeah, I know." She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Tape or gloves?" she murmured to herself as she opened the supply cabinet.

"Gloves," Brennan promptly answered for her. "Your hands still need time to heal as well."

She rolled her eyes at his overprotective words. "I'm fine, Brennan." She frowned up at him as he reached over her shoulder and plucked her black gloves off the shelf, handing them to her.

"I still don't like this."

She tugged the gloves on, resting her hands on Brennan's forearms. "Don't try to take this away from me, Brennan. I need this; I need to get my life back."

His eyes flickered with emotion, and he clasped her hands, squeezing them through the gloves. "It's right here in front of you, Shalimar."

"Thank you," She whispered, swallowing at the sudden tightness in her throat.

"For what?"

"For understanding." She took a step back, lightly banging her knuckles together.

"I'm trying." He muttered under his breath as she stopped in front of the punching bag and settled into a defensive posture, hands flying out. He shook his head, moving forward to hold the swinging bag. She moved with fluid grace, and he marveled as he watched her. She glided as if in a dance, stepping lightly on her toes, eyes closed as her body followed its natural rhythm, hair streaming around her small shoulders with every forward jab. He could see the confidence return as time passed, and the pinched look slowly eased from her brows as the final tendrils of tension melted away. She smiled, and it brightened the entire room. He stared at her in awe; she was coming back into herself, and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

"Hey, Shal." He finally broke the intense silence.

She threw one more punch, hands stopping on the bag and framing it as she took deep breaths. "Yeah?" She finally opened her eyes.

He circled around the punching bag, hands squeezing her shoulders. "It's good to have you back."

A startled puff of air escaped her, smile widening as he tipped her chin up. "Even though I never left?"

"Even though you never left." He bent, lips brushing softly over hers. She pushed up on her toes, arms starting to reach around his neck, both laughing when the bulky gloves proved too awkward. He reached up and grasped her hands, pulling the black gloves off one at a time, pressing feathery kisses on each palm. She cupped his neck, tugging his head back down to hers, capturing his lips with fierce determination. He groaned in the back of his throat, hands sliding down her body to the back of her thighs, hoisting her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked them backward, falling against the wall as she continued her exploration of his mouth, hands threaded into his spiky hair.

_"Hey, Shal!"_

Simultaneously they groaned as Jesse's voice broke through the hazy passion. Reluctantly she raised her head, realizing after a brief moment that Jesse was calling her through her comlink. She opened her mouth, brows rising when Brennan suddenly clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Don't answer," Brennan husked at her inquiry, "He'll get the hint."

"But Brennan—" Her breath hitched, words trailed away as he pressed a persuasive kiss to the hollow of her throat. "Hmm, never mind." She reached for his lips again, pouting when he suddenly pulled away. "What?"

He smiled at her obvious disappointment. "I changed my mind," He paused as she began to nibble on his ear, "Maybe, ah, maybe you better answer him after all. Better to be interrupted now than later."

She quirked an eyebrow, fingers trailing enticingly up his chest and around his back. "Yeah, Jess?" She maintained eye contact with Brennan as she spoke.

Jesse's voice rumbled back a moment later. "I just wanted to see how you're feeling."

"I'm good." She lightly dragged her hands down Brennan's backside, grin widening as he bit back a groan.

"You're feeling ok? No more side effects?"

"No more side effects." She chuckled at his worry, smile faltering, fingers clutching Brennan's shirt as a sudden thought hit her. "Should there be?" Brennan's hands squeezed her shoulders in comfort.

"Not at all." Jesse spoke quickly, reassuredly, "Sorry, Shal, didn't mean to scare you."

Her shoulders relaxed, releasing breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Brennan's grip also loosened before folding her into a warm hug.

"Hey, Jesse." Shalimar's voice was muffled against Brennan's chest as her arms circled his waist, smiling as he kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah?"

"I never thanked you."

Jesse's smile came across in his voice. "It's no big deal."

"Yeah it is." She sobered slightly. "You saved me, you and Brennan both."

"I'm just glad you're ok."

"Me too." She grinned as Brennan's lips again began their exquisite torture on her ear.

"Have you seen Brennan?" Jesse's voice again came through the comlink.

There was a heavy pause.

"He's ah, he's here, Jesse."

"Oh, ok then." Jesse's voice reflected his sudden understanding. "I'll talk to you guys later then."

Brennan chuckled, his warm breath tickling her neck, tempting her with his nearness. She turned her lips mere inches, capturing his in a heady rush of emotion. "Thanks, Brennan." She leaned her forehead against his as they both breathed together for a moment.

He shook his head, hands lifting and framing her face. "I should be thanking you."

"Why?"

"Because you care so much about Jesse, about me, about us." His thumb stroked her cheek, and she shivered at the touch. "Because despite everything your mind was telling you, you listened to your heart and trusted me."

Her eyes dropped, mouth twisting slightly. "But I didn't, not for a long time."

"You did in the end, that's all that matters." He ducked his head to catch her gaze as his fingers tightened their hold on her face.

She reached up, resting her hands over his. "All those times you tried to convince me to trust you, to believe you, and I tried so hard, but the doubts always kept their grip." She stared into his familiar brown eyes, searching their warm depths. "It was when you said nothing that I finally heard you, and understood."

His brows furrowed, trying to follow.

She smiled, smoothing his wrinkled brow. "Love spoke where words couldn't, and I believed. Your love said it all, and it broke the hold that doubt had over me." She marveled at the way his eyes darkened with emotion. "You see, it was also a choice, and it was trust. Your heart sought for me, and found me, and allowed me to believe again."

He pulled her to him, pressing light kisses against eyes, her lids falling shut under his searching lips. "I love you, Shalimar."

"I love you too, Brennan, and that is what has saved us so many times."

He kissed her nose, then reached her lips, tasting them tenderly before moving down to her neck.

Her hands ran along his strong shoulders and down his arms, feeling the strength in them, remembering how he had shielded her from the monster in her final dream and took the blows that saved her. He hadn't given up until he found her again. They were connected, by choice, by trust, by heart. She ducked her head, capturing his lips again.

She was his, and he was hers.

It was to a very late supper, the sun setting lowly in the winter sky, when the four members of Mutant X finally sat down to eat. Time together was a sacred affair, and they sat next to each other, Brennan and Shalimar side by side, Jesse across from them, and Lexa next to him. It was silent as they ate, falling into a reflective mood as they savored the moment. Shalimar sat so close to Brennan so that her thigh touched his, and the kindling warmth of it pulsated through her. She exchanged tender glances with him, forking another bite of food into her mouth.

"You know what I was thinking about just now?" Jesse's voice caught their attention, and they all looked up at him.

"What's that?" Shalimar smiled at him as she took another bite.

"A while ago, when we were fighting to protect Lexa from that thing in her neck, Adam told me something I've never forgotten." He glanced at the dark haired woman as he spoke. "He told me when you care about someone, it means telling them all truths, even the ones you want to protect them from. There's such wisdom in those words."

"Our secrets." Lexa murmured in understanding.

"Exactly." Jesse smiled back at her. "It was when we shared everything with each other that it all finally made sense."

"All truths, for all the things we have yet to face." Shalimar whispered with determination as Brennan's thigh pressed again against hers in agreement.

The table fell silent for a moment.

"So," Jesse cleared his throat, breaking the silence as he glanced over at Lexa with a mischievous grin, "Who's ready for dessert?"

"Who made it?" Brennan bluntly asked as Lexa left for the kitchen, wincing as Shalimar elbowed him in the side. "Ow, Shal!"

She shook her head at his lack of subtly.

Jesse grinned. "We can serve it with the last of the kava, that stuff makes anything taste good."

"Maybe if you had a case of it," Brennan muttered under his breath, quickly leaning over to the side and shooting Shalimar a quick grin as he avoided her flying elbow.

Lexa returned a moment later with a rather pathetic looking cake, proudly serving it.

Jesse bravely took the first bite, grimacing slightly before forcing a smile. Brennan didn't even try, waiting for Lexa to look away before dropping bits under the table where Chester's tail hopefully wagged. Shalimar sipped coffee, delaying her first bite, almost spitting her drink out when she heard Chester suddenly whine in distaste from under the table and felt the little dog scamper back over her feet. Brennan heard as well, peering under the table to see the untouched dessert. He couldn't help it, he laughed outright.

"What?" Lexa looked perplexed when they both suddenly avoided her gaze, her lips twitching in secret amusement when they didn't notice.

Shalimar glanced furtively at Brennan, laughing again when she saw his eyes teary from laughter. She leaned into him as he pulled her into a sideways hug, pressing a kiss to her temple as the table fell again into a comfortable silence.

Finally, Jesse sighed, pushing back his chair and patting his stomach as he stood up. "I don't think I can eat another bite."

Shalimar watched as he exchanged a final smile with Lexa as she disappeared into the kitchen before starting to gather up the dishes. She stood up, helping him.

"You know what, Shal?" He accepted the plate she handed him, stacking it with the others. "We're very lucky." Jesse's voice was husky as he pulled her into a hug. "What we have, not everyone is fortunate to find in their lifetime."

She nodded against his chest, smiling as he pressed a kiss to cheek and then stepped back, noticing for the first time that Brennan had disappeared.

"I saw him sneaking toward the garage," Jesse smiled knowingly when he saw her looking around.

"Thanks," She swatted his chest as he walked by her, grinning as he paused to gather up the dishes, hastily dumping the rest of Lexa's dessert into a potted palm on his way into the kitchen. "Come on

Chester," She bent down to gather up the little dog as she looked quizzically up at her. "Let's go find Brennan." Chester's whole body squirmed at the name, quivering with excitement. "Yeah, I know how you feel." Shalimar chuckled, stroking the silky brown ear as she walked down the hallway and into the garage.

"Brennan?"

The outside door was closed, but she could still feel the slight chill in the room even as hints of snow and pine teased her nose. Clear and startling fresh, there was nothing quite like the scent of a snowy breeze. She loved that smell. Her eyes swept the room, noticing almost immediately that Brennan's coat and boats were missing. _Hmm._ She raised her eyebrows, prickles of awareness running down her spine. _What was he up to?_ Long legs quickly crossed the room, and she kicked off her slippers, tugging on her boots instead. She winced slightly as the bottoms of her feet protested the hard soles, but she ignored the twinge of pain, fingers trembling with excitement as she grabbed her thick coat off its hook and thrust her arms into the downy warmth. Brennan was up to something, she could feel the energy in the air, could almost taste it as she licked her lips. Chester bounded with eagerness at her feet, and she grinned in agreement, tugging her red hat over her ears and draping a scarf around her neck as she reached for the door. It stuck, and she tugged harder until the hinges groaned, giving way in the crusty cold. She stepped through the doorway, catching her breath at the sight before her as Chester dashed madly into the night, nose to the ground. The moon hung heavily in the sky, round and swollen with fullness, casting a gentle light over the otherwise perfect darkness of the mountain at night. Pine trees swayed in the background, creating dancing shadows that for the first time in a long while felt wonderfully friendly and familiar. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, taking it all in; her home. Brennan was near; she could sense his anticipation, and she smiled as she heard the distinctive sound of Chester's nose drawing long draughts of air, sorting out scents and casting them all aside except the one she followed. A moment passed and then came the dog's pleased whine as she found her intended target. Shalimar's lips curved into a wide grin as her eyes swept open, focusing on the sound; he was found. She paused; waiting to see what he would do next.

Brennan's head shot up as the sound of squealing hinges carried loudly in the cool air; someone was coming outside. He gave a quick, final pat to the rolled snow beside him before taking a few steps forward, halting in his steps and barely noticing as Chester found him a moment later. Shalimar stood in the open doorway, face tilted up as moonlight washed down upon her and bright light spilled out from behind her. In the otherwise darkness of the quiet night, she seemed to glow with ethereal mystery. Warmth flooded his body, blood pounding in his veins as he was struck anew at the sight; she was beautiful. Her eyes suddenly opened and turned right to him, finding him in the darkness, and he shook his head, taking another step, smiling back as he melted out of the shadows.

"Brennan?" Her voice called to him as he approached, and his grin widened, pleased she hasn't yet seen what was behind him.

"Hi." He dropped a kiss on her red nose, reaching up and tugging her hat down over her eyes.

"Hey!" She squealed with surprise as red wool covered her eyes and her feet were suddenly swept out from under her. She had the sense of being upside down before realizing she had been slung over Brennan's shoulder. Snow crunched beneath his feet as he turned and began to walk.

"Is this really necessary?" She calmly retorted, fingers rapping against his back.

He laughed, giving her legs a gentle squeeze. "You're not supposed to be walking outside yet."

She snorted. "Let's not forget who came out here in the first place."

He grunted in acquiesce, but kept walking.

"Brennan?" She wiggled slightly, smiling softly as she sensed the energy rippling just beneath the surface of his skin. Muscles rolled smoothly and she was suddenly airborne for a fleeting second and then she was held securely against his chest. He took a few more steps and then paused. Moonlight hit her as her hat was again raised, and she blinked her eyes, gasping and laughing as she suddenly saw what Brennan had been up to.

He had been busy.

Two snowmen stood side by side under the grove of maple trees, in the same place she and Brennan had sat many a time. One was large and sturdy, made with massive balls of snow and the other was smaller, hinting at curves as the snow was smoothly rounded. Securely fastened over the chest of the larger one, a red heart had been carefully shaped. She blinked back sudden tears as she recognized the ribbon she had used to wrap up Brennan's gift from that morning.

"Brennan," Her breath caught in her throat as she clutched his fingers

"Look," Brennan pointed with a pleased grin at an indecipherable mass of snow. "I even made Chester."

Laughter bubbled out of her, joyous and pure, and he wrapped his arms around her at the sound, hands reaching up and tugging her hat off her head, tossing it into the snow before burying his cold fingers into her thick mass of hair, turning her face up to his.

"I love you, Shal," He murmured softly, lips against hers.

"What about us?" Jesse's amused voice carried towards them, and Brennan groaned good-naturedly, pausing as Shalimar's hands grasped his shoulders, stopping him as he made to turn.

"I love you too," She whispered, hands sliding up his shoulders and running along his jawline, pressing a tender kiss against his mouth before releasing him and turning to greet Jesse and Lexa.

Jesse stood, hands on his hips as he surveyed the scene. "Aren't you forgetting a few people?"

Shalimar turned to follow his gaze before looking back at him. "No, I don't think so." Her lips twitched with suppressed laughter as he feigned outrage.

"Shalimar!" Jesse huffed, shaking his head as he grasped his chest. "I'm hurt."

"We can't have that," Lexa grinned as she bent and grasped a handful of snow. "Look, Jesse," She pointed with her chin, "They even made the dog before us."

Shalimar giggled as Jesse's eyebrows winged upward. "That's supposed to be a dog?"

"Watch it," Brennan wiggled his fingers in the air.

"Ah, harmless threat," Jesse grinned back, unfazed. "It's too damp out here for you, Sparky."

"If you boys are finished with your male posturing, you could give us a hand," Lexa spoke without looking up from the snowball she was rolling around the trees, exchanging smiles with Shalimar as she watched the scene with amusement.

"Good idea." Brennan uncharacteristically backed down, waiting until Jesse bent over to help Lexa push the growing snowball before letting loose, two tiny bolts of electricity flying through the air and making contact. "I couldn't help it, Shal." Brennan shrugged as Shalimar slapped his chest, catching her hand and pulling her to his side as Jesse and Lexa simultaneously straightened up, clutching their backsides and howling in surprise.

"You're asking for it," Lexa threw her fingers together, and three pairs of eyes turned to see a thin laser hovering inches from the larger snowman's head. "One more move from you, and the snowman gets it."

"Hey!" Brennan darted forward to rescue his creation. "Don't you dare!"

Time seemed to stand still for one glorious evening as the moon slid slowly across the sky, snuggling down in the blanket of downy clouds gently gathering. Thick snow began to fall, quietly sheathing the four figures laughing and playing in the snow, as if to shelter them from the world if only for one night. Chester seemed to share the sentiment, sitting on her haunches, stubby tail wagging as she watched over them.

Shalimar paused to catch her breath, face turning upward as she noticed the giant flakes drifting down from the heavens. She smiled, marveling at their crystalline perfection, unable to resist sticking out her tongue to catch one. She laughed as she missed and dashed forward, trying again.

"You need to stand still." Brennan's voice brought her face back down, and she reddened slightly at being caught in the act.

"What?" She brushed her wet mittens together in front of her, brushing off the clumping snowballs.

"To catch a snowflake," Brennan's voice was tender and deep as he came to a stop in front of her. "You need to stand still, let it come to you." He tipped his own face back, and she laughed as he stuck his tongue out without any reservation.

"Jush waid." His words were mushed as he spoke without moving. _Just wait._ She watched as a fluffy flake landed on his tongue. His face came back down, grinning in triumph as he bent and captured her smiling mouth.

His lips were warm, in sharp contrast with the base iciness of the melting snow on his tongue, and she deepened the kiss for a brief moment before reluctantly pulling away, glancing over her shoulder at Jesse and Lexa as they struggled to lift the huge head they had made for their snowman. _Just wait_, her eyes twinkled up at him with unspoken promise, and he grinned, pulling her close.

"It's like love," Brennan continued his conversation as if there had been no interruption. "It will come to you; you only have it let it."

They had been through so much. Shalimar's throbbed with the awareness of it all, arms tightening their hold around Brennan as Chester trotted up to them. She shook her head in amazement as their silence was eventually broken by quiet banter, gentle laughter that rose up through the mountain. She smiled, warmth washing over her as she listened to them; Chester curled up in a ball at her feet. _Her family._ She turned her eyes up to Brennan's. _Her love_. She wouldn't give them up for anything. She leaned against Brennan as he seemed to sense her thoughts and press his arm more tightly against her, hand capturing hers and lifting it to his lips, a tender kiss pressed into her palm as his eyes promised her his love.

So many minutes blurred, so many moments defined. He loved her through them all. Love, longed for, sought after, fought for, and tested beyond measure. It had been found in things best known to them, had become a thing more beautiful than mere words could ever say, and it pulsed around them through all things great and small with unspeakable wisdom. Love. She lifted her gaze to Brennan's as his fingers tangled with hers; eyes alight with the wonderment of what they had found.

No matter what their road, they had already won; it was the truth they had been heading towards all along. And they would take their steps side by side, for love had forged them together with blood and tears, and love had made them completely and utterly one.

The End!

_"Of the uncertainty after all...that maybe the things I perceive...maybe these are only apparitions, and the real something has yet to be known. When he whom I love…sits a long while holding me by the hand, when the subtle air, the impalpable, the sense that words and reason hold not, surround us and pervade us, then I am charged with the untold and untellable wisdom of all things--I am silent--I require nothing further. He ahold of my hand has completely satisfied me." --Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass_


End file.
